The Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come

October 30, 2017 | Author: Anonymous | Category: N/A
Share Embed


Short Description

c> And in their days, even of those kings, the God of heaven shall set up a KINGDOM bility ......

Description

HERALD OF

THE

KINGDOM AND AGE TO COME: A PERIODICAL

DEVOTED TO THE

INTERPRETATION

tarn unit \\ι

AND TO THE DEFENCE OF

fu\\

nun iilinmit tn tjf»

BY JOHN THOMAS, M. D.

c> And in their days, even of those kings, the God of heaven shall set up a KINGDOM which shall never perish, sn I a DOMINION that shall not be left to another people. It shall grind to powder and bring to an end all these kingdoms, and itself shall stand for ever."—DANIEL.

NEW YORK: PUBLISHED

BY

THE

EDITOR,

18 5 3.

5 2 6

BROADWAY.

HERALD Ο Ι·'

Τ II Ε

KINGDOM AND AGE TO COME. «And in their days, even of those, kings* the God of heaven shall set tip κ KINGDOM which shall never perish, and A DOMINION that shall vat be left to another people. It shall grind to powder and bring to an cud all these 1 kingdoms, avd itself shall stand for ever.'' —DANIEL.

John Thomas, E d ]

NEW YORK, JANUARY, 1853.

[Vol. I

No. 1.

JEWISH OBJECTIONS TO JESUS CONSIDERED, evidence " is concerned, a less amount of which would seem to he necessary to estsbIn The Occident, an Israelitish periodical, lish the historical accuracy of the New, seethere is a series of letters written by η Mr. ing that it is so much more modern or nearer Dins, the maternal grandfather of Miss our own times in its details, than the Old. Grace Aguilnr, a distinguished daughter of $ It is too late in the day for our Jewish friend» Israel, against the authenticity and infalli- Testament history. It is quite competent the claims of Jesus of Nazareth to the Mes-J for them to dispute its doctrine] but to siahship. In one of his epistles he remarks: \ deny its facts is to convict themselves of il" Until the Jews admit the divine authority I literacy and unreasonableness, for there is of the New Testament, nothing can be urged n o contrary testimony extant, calculated to from it for their conversion ; for in contro- cast a shadow of doubt upon the facts and versies, neither party can, with the least sha- events narrated in either the Old or New dow of reason, make use of any authority writings of the Jews. which is not admitted, or granted by the > Mr." Benjamin Dias and others labor unother. A tyiohanimedan might as consistent- ji,.s : m ^ Prottstruts may. The oracles of Though there is some truth in this, it is not God, styled the Old Testament, were cornfree from fallacy. Mr. Bias says—"Nothing milted to Judali, from whom we received can be urged from it." He might as well τheii; the Jewish writings of the New, were object, that nothing can be urged for the > received by the apostolic congregations of conviction of a modern Chinese of the exis- \ believers from sources satisfactory to them, tence of Alfred the Great, and of his right 2.5* EDITOR. tirely disregarded by professors of Christiant ity, and but little understood even by those MEDIATORSHIP, who profess to study them. They are treated as mere Jewish annals—once prophecies, but BY THE EDITOR. now fulfilled in Jesus, and consequently a " T H E L A W " is a term applied in the mere matter of history; to use the words of a certain divine esteemed " g r e a t " by people Scriptures to trmt system of things enjoined unlearned in the word, a sort of "old Jewish by Jehovah upon the Twelve Tribe.s of Israel almanac!'' Hence, professors of Gentilism through Moses. " T h e Law was given through say, that " the New Testament is their only Moses,"" and hence it is styled "the Law of and sutlieient rule of faith and practice." Moses;" not because it originated from him This is tantamount to saying, that "all the as the French code did from Napoleon, or propht'ciesconcerning the Messiah are fulfilled certain laws of Greece from Draco and Solon ; in Jesus, and therefore recorded'in the New but because it was transmitted through him Testament;" for if this be not the case, then as the medium of communication between there are things to be believed concerning the the Lord of the Universe and the descendMessiah which are not. there, and the New ants of Abraham in the chosen line of Isaac Testament is not the sufficient rule of faith. and Jacob, whom He surnamed Israel, of Assuming, however, that ihe Gentile notion whom He condescended to become the King. is a true statement in relation to Jesus, it is " He gave them a fiery law,"* which he caused taken as a ground of objection to his claims to be delivered to Moses for promulgation. as King of the Jews and Redeemer of Israel. He did not leave his throne in the light to " W e , " say the Jews to the Gentiles, "a^roe commune with Moses in his own proper per-c with you, that there is but one personal ad- son; for no man shall see Him and live :" vent of the Christ. Jesus appeared once in but he imparted his will to the angels uf his our country; and his biography has been presence, "who do his commandments, hearksketched by four of his contemporaries, ening unto the voice of his word ;" and these, which, you say, is a record of all that need as faithful ministers of his pleasure/ handed be expected to happen in regard to him upon to Moses his high, and holy, and just decrees, earth. Now this being so, with what we with all the sanctions of Sinai recorded in know is actually on record in the holy pro- " the Book." Thus " the law was ordained phets, concerning the office and character of by angels in the hands of a Mediator,"* who Messiah, and which no one will pretend to was Moses, occupying middle ground besay has ever been fulfilled in, by, or through tween Israel and their King. Terrified with Jesus, we cannot recognize in him the per- the thunder-tones in which the Decalogue sonage of whom Moses did write in the law." was delivered, which made even Moses quake "Only prove to us that all the prophecies with fear, they besought Jehovah to speak to concerning the Messiah were fulfilled in Je- them only through the medium of their brothsus,** says Mr. Benjamin Dias; " the Jews er. In making this request they proposed a. will then be converted; for they require noa John i., 17. b D»-ut. xxxiii , l2. c llxodusxxxiii., 20 ; thing else." 1 Tim. viM 16. d Ps. ciii., -20, 21. c Gai. iii., 11).

G

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come.

McJialorshij), and suggested the appointment of .Moses to the otlice. They had acknowledged themselves Jehovah's nation, and now they wished that the communication between them should be through an intermediate person with whom they could confer without terror. The proposal pleased Jehovah, who siild " t h e y had well spoken what they had spoken," and their request was consequently complied with. From this time the Mediatorship became an ordinance in Israel. Moses was the first that held the office, in which he officiated as a priest, prophet, legislator and king. After the nation was planted in Canaan, the high priests acted in the character of mediators, being Jehovah's supreme magistrates over the people, for the pontificate was always above the kingly office, though many of the kings treated the high priests with indignity. Moses was the only complete representative of a mediator that has yet appeared in Israel, lie was Jehovah's representative in all his relations to the nation. David and Solomon shared the tnediatorship with Zaduc the high priest, but it was only as kingly, not priestly and legislative, representatives of Jehovah. They were mediatorial administrators of Moses' lawT; and representative men in the offices they sustained— Jehovah's representatives, individually representative in their historical outlines of the mediator like unto Moses, who shall hereafter appear as king in Jeshurun. No other nation besides Israel has received a law " ordained in the hand of a mediator." The constitutions and laws of the nations have been given to them by evil men who have subdued them ; or by men no holier, whom they may have chosen to rule over them. Uence their organizations are evil, and the spirit which actuates them, satanic. The supreme power is one, and the people is another, and there is no mediator—" no days-man betwixt them that mii'lit lay his hand upon them both." Their laws and institutions being human, purely so, or rather devilish, they have no intercourse with God; for if they spoke to him and he should answer, seeing that they have no mediator, they would be as terror-stricken as Israel of old, and cry out, " L e t not God speak with us, lest werdie!" Never did a people before hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire and live; nor besides Israel has any nation heard him speak at all. Jehovah speaks only to Israel, in Israel, and through them; and if the nations are addressed, it is through the mediation of the tribes; for what Moses was to them, so are they to the world at large. Mediation being an Israel itish institution, and there being no other between Jehovah and the population of the earth; and it being

admitted that no man can come to God save through a mediator approved of Him ; it follows, that both individuals and nations can obtain access to " the throne of the Majesty in the heavens " only through the mediation which pertains to Israel. Now this mediation is in no way practicable on the old basis, that is, through the Mosaic law. Obviously so; because according to that law there is no acceptance except through sacrifice offered in Jerusalem by the priesthood of Levi. So long as Jerusalem is trodden under foot of the Gentiles, this is impossible ; Israel therefore, like the rest of the nations, although they trust in Moses, is as destitute of mediation as though the mediatorship pertained to the Chinese and not to them. If blindness had not happened to them, they would certainly see this; for it is written in Moses, "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them." But what one thing, not to mention all things, do they observe in the letter or spirit of it that is written therein? They practice circumcision. But that is not of the law; yet by the practice they become debtors to do the whole law. By offending in the least they are guilty of the whole ; for Moses curses every Israelite who continueth not in all. Cursed, then, are they of Moses in whom they trust; yet were they ever so willing to obey him, they are circumstantially prevented. The Turks possess their holy city and land, and by the sword are prepared to suppress every attempt to re-establish the Mosaic commonwealth. Alas for Israel! They «are, "without a king, without a prince, without a sacrifice, without an image, without an ephod, and without teraphim,"/ and the king, prince, sacrifice, image of the invisible God, they will not receive! But, if Israel's case is forlorn, that of the nations is worse; for1 while Israel refuses Him who speaks from the right hand of God, the Gentiles, who profess to acknowledge him, pay no regard to what he says. Redemption awaits Israel Ί but anger and wrath, and sore distress, to all. the world besides. How shall this trouble be eschewed ? Escape there is one save for those who obey the truth. The door is not yet shut, " l i e that believes and is baptized shall be s-.ived;" but mark the words which follow— " lie

that

believes

iu>t shall

he

condemned"

What is that thing which when not believed brings condemnation to a man ? The context answers this question in two words—" THE CJOSPEL."A So that you see, you may even be baptized, or rather immersed, but if you believe not " t h e gospel," you cannot be saved. That gospel announces to every /Π03. iii., 4. Rom. i,, 1ϋ.

g Dun. xii., 1, Λ Mark xvi., 15, J6;

Mediator ship. man, both Jew and Gentile who ikjiiew.s n, access to Jehovah and his restored kingdom through his son Jesus, on his Recession to the mediatorship in Israel. rJ'u*Λ l.uv of Moses was ordained by angels in the iiand of a mediator. But that law as originally ordained has been impaired by the manifestation of some of its antitypes; and being therefore no longer an exact representation of the knowledge of the truth, and incompatible with the nature of things as modilied by the appearance of the prophet like unto Moses,—it needs to be amended. This emendation is ordained by Jehovah in the hand of a mediator, as well as the original promulgation of the law. Moses received it from the angels as the ministers of God; but Jesus, who is greater than Moses, "being a son over his own house," in which Moses was only a servant/' receives the amended law ditvet from Jehovah; for says God, *' I will put my words in^is mouih; and he shall, speak unto them (Israel) all that I shall command him; and whosoever will not hearken to mv words which he shall speak in my name. I will require it of him." Angels brought the words of God to Sinai, tnd there delivered them to Moses for him to speak to Israel; but the Holy Spirit, in the fornj of a dove, descended from before the throne, and :;l)ode on Jesus. He needed no angels to u il him what to speak, for the Father dwelt in Him by his spirit, and moved his tongue ι ο utterance. " The Father is in Me. I speak not of myself; the Father dwelling in me doth the works." Though that Spirit forsook him when he yielded up his life upon the cross,i it was only till he rose again by its life-imparting energy.k The fullness of the Godhead now dweileth bodily in him ; and of that "fullness have we all," says an apostle, " received, even gift for the sake of gift—χάριν αντί χάριτος—charin anii

charitos."1 When he shall depart from "holy ground " to revisit the arena of suffering and reproach, angels will escort him to his kingdom, full of Jehovah's words of truth and mercy to his people; for " he shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake : but He will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel

So

shall they know that He is the Lord their God dwelling in Zion his holy mountain: Jerusalem shall then be holy, and strangers shall pass through her no more."'» Thus will he utter his archangel voice from Zion, amid the echoes of Jehovah's trumpet sending forth its blast» as on Sinai in the days of old. That trump will awake the ill'

• Heb. iii., 5, 6. j Matt, xxvii., 46, 50; Luke xxiii., * R ° m - v m \ l l . /Col.ii.,9; J o h u U 16. τη Joel

Ml», 1 0 , J7,

dea-'].« And where will be his foes ? Though gathered together to battle against Jerusalem a mighty host, of what account will they be, when the crashing thunder of that deadawakening shout, rattling through the ilaming he.ivens, shall boom upon their ears? Madness will seize upon them, and upon their horses blindness and astonishment. The burden of Jerusalem will be heavy upon tiiein, and a cup of trembling to them all.» But lrink it to the dregs they must;'for thei»· wickedness will be great.? Jehovah's iirs' interview with his nation at Sinai was attended by a terrific demonstration preceded by lie overthrow of Israel's enemies. Under iwa sanction of tiiis display of power and glorv he presented Moses to the people as his representative over them. But the time is not very remote, when the crisis that is now foraiinij will necessitate a second interview between Jehovah and the Tribes. They have to be delivered from those that hate them ; and ίο be impressed with a spirit of prompt obedience and submission to the Moses-like prophet, who is to be the mediatorial representative of Jehovah in their midst for a thousand years to come. Nothing short of a Sinaitic demonstration will accomplish this; for Israel is as still-necked a people to-day as thirty-four centuries ago. The battle of Armageddon and the war which it inducts, with all the attendant manifestations of power and great glory, will inaugurate, with all-subduing majesty, Jehovah's king in Zion, the hill of His holiness. The mediatorship will then have reappeared in Israel under the new covenant, dedicated upwards of eighteen centuries before by the blood of the Mediator, who speaks the words commanded of the Father in sending forth the amended law from Zion, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem;? not to Israel only, but to the residue of men who then seek after the Lord, and to all the nations called by his name.»· Great, glorious, and free, will Israel then be in the midst of enlightened, obedient, and happy nations. The Kingdom of God, for which Jesus taught his apostle to pray, will have come to Zion, and his Father's will performed on earth as it is in heaven. As the woman's seed he will have bruised the serpent's head, and have delivered his brethren from evil, because the kingdom is his, the power and tha glory for ever, amen. Thus then will the amended law be ordained by. Jehovah in the hand of Jesus, the Mediator of the New Covenant,—even the law initiated by Moses for a single nation ; but perfected and adapted to a consociation of all nations, by the prophet like unto him, H 1 Thes. iv., G; 2 Eph. i., 7, 8. ο Zech. xiu 1-7 : xiv. ρ Joel iii., 13. q Isaiah it., 3. r Acts xr., 17.

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come. the future king and lord of all the earth,5 When that which is perfect hath come, the ordering of things terrestrial will have obtained the permanency of a thousand years, as exhibited in the following descending series :— JEHOVAH, Lord of the boundless universe ; dwelling in unapproachable light; whom no man hath seen, or can see and live: JESUS, Jehovah's High Priest and King over all the Earth on David's Throne in Zion : THE SAINTS,

Associates with Jesus in the enlightenment and government of the world : LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD,

Priests to Israel and the Gentiles who come up to worship Jehovah at the Temple in Jerusalem: TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL, .

The Kingdom of God, or Jehovah's First Born of the many nations constituted His eons in Abraham, their federal paternal chief: T H E NATIONS,

The Inheritance of Jehovah's king to the ends of the earth.

« THE AJVGELICAL SOCIETY/'* And now, the better to understand " Romanism as it is," let us look at the way in which it expends its pecuniary resources in places where it is free from the control of protestantism, and the restraints of the general spirit of the age. In the Chinese missions, Perrocheau, vicar apostolic of Su-tchuen, under date September 4th, 1848, writes to the conductors of the society for the propagation of the faith at'Rome, in the following terms: " In spite of the obstacles which the mandarins throw in the way of the conversion of the infidels, we have received as catechumens 1,280 neophytes, and baptized 888 adults in the year. God be praised. But our angelical society it is which gives us the greatest consolation. The number of the children of the infidels baptized in danger of death continues constantly to increase; this year it amounts to 84,416, about two-thirds of whom, already in possession of unutterable felicity, s Zech. xiv., 9. • A Society for the transformation of the ** immortal souls" of babies into "guardian angele " in Skykiugdomia.—Editor,

{ will love and praise God eternally. The more > we receive aid from Europe, the more will < this work extend its benefits. We have ' opened in several cities, small shops where Christian (catholic) physicians gratuitously distribute 'pills for young persons who are sick, and generously give attentions of all kinds to the children brought to them. This work produces marvelous effects, causes a very large number to be baptized, and singularly pleases the heathen. Inprder to explain the prodigious success of our angelical work, you must be informed that all China is covered with poor persons, reduced to the last degree of wretchedness, and burdened with numerous families. Their children lack everything; no food, no clothes, almost no shelter. The mothers die of hunger and cold; the infants they support perish witfi them. It is these nurses which give an abundant harvest to our baptizers, who seek those poor wretches in preference to others, accost them with kind words, testify a warm interest in their young families, give pills, and sometimes add alms; they are therefore regarded as angels descended from heaven, and are easily allowed to baptize the perishing little ones. Some of our physicians have often effected wonderful cures, and though their skill is small, enjoy extraordinary repute. Hippocrates was not lauded so much. Sponges are here unknown. We fell upon the idea of getting some from Macao, as more convenient than cotton for baptizing. The pagans admire these sporges, and regard them as an infallible remedy. They are delighted at seeing the foreheads of their sick children laved with so marvelous an instrument. We hope that next year the number of our baptized infants will reach a hundred thousand; by-and-by it may amount to two hundred thousand a year, if you send us good support. In no other part of the· world can your money achieve the salvation of so many souls. After the conversion of China, which contains more than three hundred millions of .inhabitants, you may compute the multitude of little Chinese which every year ascend io heaven. In Europe, perhaps, surprise will be felt at so great a disposal of pills in China. But the astonishment will cease as soon as it is known that the Chinese have a taste for medicine just as Euro pear!»1 have for tea and coffee." Lamentable superstition ! Children sent direct to heaven by baptism procured by pills! Such is sacramentalism in its full growth. Such maudlin and degrading formalism to be represented as the religion of the Saviour of the worjd: and to be substituted here and in all protestant lands for the vital practical faith of Cranmer, Leighton, Jeremy Taylor, Barrow, Locke,and Howard?

How little do these Romish fatuities differ

The Angelical

Soeidy.

0

from fetichism! A venerated pill, and a ; into her arms. Then I baptized that poor miraculous sponge, as means of effecting $ little one, of its tribe the first-born for heavChristian conversions! Other resources of * en. May that child, predestined for celestial the same" unworthy kind are employed. Tims bliss, when once in possession of eternal hapin the missions of Tong-Ki ng, the Romish piness, intercede with Jesus Christ in favor bishop and vicar apostolic, Retord, after re- of his countrymen, and become the guardian porting the baptisms, during the yea* 1849, of angel of his nation !" 9,649 infants of the infidels, states as among This poor, wretched, dying child " the the causes of this success the following:— guardian angel of his nation!" Well, he " A collection is made; and a small capital might be as fit and render services as good acquired. This capital is employed in trade, as many others who hold the same post in or laid out in the purchase of a piece of land. the Romish hierarchy of heaven. St. George, With the income we purchase boards to make the guardian angel of England, should be coffins, and religious and funeral tokens ; worshiped blindfold, if he is to have worthen, when the children of the pagans die, shipers at all. In this particular of guardian the society gives them a solemn interment, angels we find that pagan element which with music, and a drum and a troop of little so largely enters into Romanism ; and both children of both sexes who follow the pro- pervades and pollutes the whole system. cession. The heathens are ravished with Repeatedly does it present itself in the inthis pomp; so that when one of their children- structions oifered tb the people in the works falls sick, they, of their own accord, intreat which lie before us. In the catechism, enus to go and baptize it. There is in the mis- titled Dottrina Crisliana breve, originally sion at present a great zeal for this work ; composed by Bellarniin at the command of but to sustain this ardor, I must get many Clement Vl'lL, and in 1839 newly edited books, images, and chaplets made. All the and published at Rome, in answer to the objects of the kind you have sent me are question, "Do you not fly for refuge to the used for the purpose. But they are not other saints besides, Mary"?" this reply is enough. I am getting made here many given by the scholar, " I fly for aid to all chaplets for this purpose. Nevertheless, the saints, and especially to the saints of my we shall never reach the number of baptisms own name, and to my guardian angel."— in China, for the people here are very fond Journal of Sacred Literature, pp. 23-25. of their children." The writer of-'the above thinks it is a laThe dumb show of a funeral parade a mentable superstition that sends children dimeans of conversion! A drum and fife rect to heaven by baptism procured by pills. beating up for infant recruits in the army And so it is. It is a blasphemous superstiof Christ! Images in place of the primer! tion that sends ghosts, adult or juvenile-, to Chaplets over a tomb instead of the word of heaven, direct or indirect, by baptism or rlianthe living God in the heart! Yet only com- tism procured in any way. But paidorhantist parative success; for the parents " love their protestants admit the validity of such bapchildren" and, hence it would seem, are tisms, and would not repeat them ; for the anxious to save them from this parade and Romish, they say, is a true church, only cormummery. And in China the saved souls rupt. Its ordinances are therefore valid. If are so numerous because parents do not love thie w*ere denied, it would play havoc with their children! In other words, they care the Christianity of the Reformers; for Luther, not what becomes of them; and therefore Melancthon, Calvin, Knox, «Sic, had no other let them fall into the hands of the Romanists. than Romish baptisms to constitute them No matter, being in those hands, and being baptized. The baptism being esteemed vabaptized by those hands, they pass at onre lid, what boots it how it is procured? Whefrom earth to heaven! This is sacramental ther *· by pills," or by indoctrinating the ism in all its destructiveness. No ! there is parents with superstitious notions about inno qualification in the absurdity. Witness fant-soul-damnation to the flames of hell? the words which follow, and which proceed- The procuration is a mere question of relaed from another missionary bishop and vicar tive absurdity. Pill-procuration, and funeral drum-and-fife parade, are harmless absurdiapostolic, " Miche, bishop of Dansare :"— "When on the point of separating from ties; and quite as rational an introduction of these savages, I perceived a woman carelessly infant ghosts to the spirit-world as any prostretched on a mat, and near her lay an infant testant invention extant. Romanists will not which was at her breast. This poor creature, admit unrhantized infants to luneral honors, about a year old, was nothing but skin and and sepulture in consecrated ground ; neither bone. A part of its body, devoured by scro- will the Church of Enghind Protestants ; and fula, was a prey to putrefaction, and exhaled both classes believe in the angelization of a fetid odor. I told the mother that I could their " Immortal Souls !" The Chinese have do her child good, and begged her to take it faith in the pills, because they sometime*

2

10

Herald of the Kinydom and Aye to Come.

cure, but none i.i the religion; the 4* outride > no inheritance in it on this side of the gravp. barbarians" think everything of this; and ί ' H e was to go to his fathers in peace, and thereby convict th emselves of less sagacity be buried in a good olda^e.' (Ch. xv., 15.) than the Celestials, in re Superstition trrsus Still he had the outstanding promise that he Common Sense. Before ignorant pagans an» himself personally was to inherit the land. consigned to eternal torment without one ray He believed, and continued to believe, the of hope, let intelligent professors of the faiths promise. But he learned to interpret it as f Antichrist's dominion, styled "Christen- > a promise to be fulfilled, not in the life that dom " by misnomer, ask themselves how > j now is, but in the life that is to come/ For they can possibly escape. \ he knew that though he was to die before What stupid ideas mankind have got into \ he obtained possession of the land,—and HO their heads about angels ! Angels made out ? far God might seem to fail in fulfilling the of infant ghosts! And the process, too, of \ promise, on the faith of which he had called angel manufacture, how thaumaturgical and \ ΪΓπη out of Charran,—still that God was able instantaneous! The following is the re- to raise him from the dead, and to fulfill the ceipt:—Let a priest or clergyman take a promise in the resurrection state, or, in other pagan or outside barbarian of eight days words, in the world to come. He acquiesced old, and then, dipping his hand, or a sponge, in that arrangement. He was reconciled to or a piece of cotton, into water, shake or it. He reposed in it. He would willingly squeeze the same over the face, and sign its consent to the postponement of the promise, pp p , lorehead with the sign of a cross, repeating so that he should have his inheritance in the U tiie words, I baptize thee, &.c." After thh, new heavens and new earth wherein dweili may b< b pill-poisor.ed, cast into the Tiber, eth righteousness, rather than in this earthly ir, G & d i d off iin Canaan, as it now subsists, where, at the Thames, or Ganges, &c, or disposed any other uay resulting in the separating of ] very best, all is vanity, soul and body, and its immaterial spirit re- \ ς> Still, let it be observed, it is th promise generated by t^e holy water, wTill fly on the of that very earthly Canaan which alone is down of an angel's wing to glory, and ex- the foundation of Abraham's hope for eterpand into an angel there ! And this is " t h e nity. There is no trace, nu hint, in all the true faith of a Christian," which qualifies for \ pttriarch's history, of a;i\ other promise a. seat in the orthodox Parliament of Britain. } whatever, relating to the world to come. It made up of papists, protestants, and infidels, j is scarcely possible to entertain a doubt on of all shades of delinquency, to the exclusion this point. What Abraham was taught to of the more rational and conscientious sons expect was the inheritance of the very soil of Israel. O, Gentilisin, by whatever name on which he trod, for so many long years of expressed, how long shalt thou hoodwink pilgrimage, as a mere stranger and sojourner. the nations, and betatter the wise and prudent It was to be his at last. with thy filthy rags! That thy destruction " Nor was it to belong to him in any remay soon come as a whirlwind from the east, mote and indirect sense merely,—and as he be the eil'ectual and fervent prayer of all who might be held to be represented by a nation love the truth, and hate hypocrisy and sin. that after all never gol, full and absolute EDJTOU. possession of it. For the Israelites, at the best, were but tenants in the lauJ—tenants at will upon their ^ood behavior, as God expressly testifies, using the very expression: THE ΕΑΚΠ1 THE FUTURE DiVELLIiYG-PLACG ' The land is mine; for ye are strangers and >ojourners with me,' (Lev. xxv., 23.) It OrF THE REDEEMED. was to himself personally that the land WIKS to be given as an inheritance—to himself, QY R. S. CANDLISI1, D D. as an individual believer, and as it were in " Let it be well remembered and consid- his own right. That very land was to be ered, that the only hope connected with the his inheritance. But when ? Not in this future world, which Abraham had, was state of being, in which man is himself morbound up in the promise that he was him- tal, and the ground is cursed for man's sake, self personally to inherit the land. When iiut in that other state of being, in which he went out, at the call of God, not know- this mortal has put on immortality, and the ing whither he went, it was upon the faith lace of the earth is renewed." of his receiving an inheritance. When he a There ia confusion f ideas in i);. C-uidlish's mind came into Canaan, he was expressly, told here. The curse is not remove»! until a thousand years that this was the country destined to be his alter Abraham and the righteous have put on immorinheritance. But he was also informed that tality. '/'//'• state of being," or the present, is scripwhile his descendants, four hundred years timilly contra.sted will» " that other state of being" wnicl) obtains in the Millennium, or world to come. — Edit»r after, would possess t!n land, he was to have Her. of K. 4t

A Word fitly Spoken.

11

" Yes! it is when death is swallowed up ) The c l o e of one year and the commencein victory—it is when the dead in Christ are } ment of another, are generally regarded by raised—it is when this globe, already ha])- ; persons of every class with some feeling of tized with water, has undergone its final bap- j interest. The children of this world mark tism of fire—it is then that the patriarch is { the season according to their different dispoto possess that land/ And then at last in J sitions—the gay with increased gaiety, the the possession of it,—be;ng himself raised \ devout with increased devotion; shall we incorruptible, and receiving his portion in \ then, the children of light, suffer such a pethe renovated earth—receiving it, moreover, $ riod to pass unnoticed, we to whom every for an everlasting inheritance,—then is he i year is fraught with things of the deepest to reap the reward of all his work of faith, \ interest seeing that our relationship is not and labor of love, and patience of hope here { merely with such things as are "passing below, in God's open acknowledgement of < a*way," but that we are so closely allied him as a son, and therefore an heir—an heir J with the invisible and eternal? The past of God and joint-heir with Christ,—as well ' year, to many of us,^ has been one of trial us in the full enjoyment of God through- and of change. Some dear ones have out the ages of eternity. j ^ » i ! i l ! ( U ; i Irom our eyes in the dark " Such, as it would seem, was Abraham's j: cold grave—some have been stricken, but high and heavenly hope—a hope heavenly, i not " " t o death : yet we are called upon to iiMMie sense, as having respect to the wond j J-i!V(J t l l i l I l I i s alike f° r tho*u who are fallen to come—the heavenly or resurrection siale ; \ asleep in Jesus, and for such of us as are yet but yet in another sense, having a substan- i spared to improve the talents wherewith we tial 'local habitation in the new earth, in are entrusted. Doubtless, the future year which, as well as in the new heavens, righte- will bring its individual trials and sorrows, but may we not look for something more ? ousness is to dwell. c " And now, does not this hope give a pe- The death-like calm that has, for some time, culiar and precious meaning to Abraham's seemed to hush the vast sea of nations, candetermination that Sarah shall not be buried not be expected to last much longer. Peace mayy smile on the opening in a strange, pg year, but is it not g , or in a hired, or even in a lent i f d b a false and a fleeting smile ? May we not, or gifted tomb, but in a sepulchre, most strictly and absolutely his own. He is taking ere its close, see the sword unsheathed infeftment in his inheritance. It belongs not wherewith the Lord will subdue all things to him living. But it belongs to him, and unto himself? Will not the storm have beto his, when dead: While he is alive in this gun which must rage in unremitting fury, world, he has no interest in the land, but to till every high thing shall be uprooted aiid walk in it as a stranger and pilgrim—to * walk extinguished that exalts itself in opposition before God, and be perfect.' But death to Jehovah ? In view of these probabilities, gives t'o him, and to his, a title to it ; and he doth it not become such as are enlightened will vindicate that title for his dead. Living i w i U l t ! l t ' knowledge of God, to look to ihe, i one Jesus lived in the days of a certain Ponfirmed. How perilous and damnable a thing- ι tius Pilate, the Son of God by the blessed is ignorance ! When voluntary it is punish- \ Virgin, who was crucified, dead and buried, able, when helpless it is pitiable, but still ) and rose again on the third day, and then asalienating from the life of God. This is the { cended to the right hand of God, where lie natural condition of all the sons of Adam. has been ever since. But this credence has Ignorant of that system of truth which the no renewing effect upon his heart any more Bible teaches, they are all heirs of death in- than it hath upon the hearts of Protestants terminable. " I n the congregation of the who luxuriate in all earthly things, and ei joy dead they shall remain." Ignorance is de- a pious siesta in "the dim religious light" grading—it is soul-debasing; it is a horrible, of some fashionable conventicle once a wevk. an awful thing. Look at savage men on the The renewing knowledge of God propounds isles afar off. Nay, look at the savages at something more heart-renovating than " sahome—in the purlieus of this city, and then cred history ;" it plants within us full assusay if ignorance of the knowledge of God rance of faith in the exceeding great and be not the great brutalizer of the human precious promises he has made in regard to heart. What rational man, then, would con- his kingdom and glory. "By these"—by tinue ignorant when knowledge is brought faith in these, the apostle Peter avers it is, to his very door? It is offered to you. You that men become partakers of the divine .•ire invited to come to this place every Sun- nature—not by the breathing of a particle of day night, and in a free and friendly manner the divine essence into a babe's nostrils, but to examine what the Scriptures teach, to by a rational and intelligent man's hearty make you " wise unto salvation." belief in the covenants of promise, that a Thus we spoke with respect to ignorance goodness of disposition is elaborated sueh and its consequences. I then presented the as was in the man Christ Jesus, the image brighter view unfolded by the Scripture tes- of the invisible God, whose nature was timony concerning knowledge, and its divine strikingly displayed in his character before results when rightly used. " This is eternal the eyes of men. Who, then, that aspires life, to know thee the only true God, and to the dignity of divine manhood would conJesus Christ whom thou hast sent." " Search tinue in ignorance of the exceeding great the Scriptures ; for in them ye think ye have and precious promises of God? Who would eternal life; and they are they which testify neglect to search the Scriptures where they of me." These were the Scriptures of Mo- may be found? Far be it from any listenses and the prophets; for when Jesus spake ing to my voice this night. Rather let us the words there was no New Testament ex- assemble here with all diligence, and help tant. Of these same Scriptures Paul said one another and ourselves to understand the to Timothy, " Thou hast known them from a words of God, and he will aid us; for God child, and they are able to make thee wise helps those who help themselves. The unto salvation through the faith which is in book of his testimony is in our hands. The Christ Jesus." The knowledge they reveal leaders of the people are confessedly unable is wonderful in its nature and in its influence to expound or interpret it. Shall we perish upon the heart of man. It is miracle-work- for lack of knowledge because of their ining. It can slay the old Adam, and compel competency ? Nay, my friends, if they be one to put him off with his deeds; and cre- content to dream away their lives in the ate a new man instead after the image of strong delusion of ignorance, let us be up God who hath revealed it. The Colossians and doing. You are invited, be ye Papist, were at one time mere children of the flesh, Protestant, Infidel, or Jew, to meet here subject to the thinking of the flesh, and every Sunday evening at half-past seven to doers of its deeds. But Paul carried the examine the Scriptures. Not to dispute Kingdom's gospel to them. They believed about theories, or to propound crotchets; it, and obeyed it too ; and so put on the but to search into God's knowledge that you second Adam, becoming new men in him, as mav come to understand the truth and be ttnith the apostle, " Ye have put off the old saved by it. man with his deeds; and have put on the Will you accept the invitation? Can you new, which is renewed by knowledge after find it in your hearts to refuse a call so benethe image of him that created him." Thus ficial to yourselves? While many are runthey became " partakers of the divine nature." ning to and fro, and knowledge is increasing Not by the belief of mere facts, for they on every side, a feature so characteristic oi will renew no man. This is manifest from the times in which we live, denoting that daily observation. The wretched papist "the time of the end" is come, can you who worships dead men's ghosts and bones, consent to stand still, and to remain without and saint-idols, believes, or rather credits understanding in " the deep things of God," the word of his priest, who tells him that which every one must do who contents him

The Fnnch. Empire. and ϊ self with the pulpit oratory of the day, JUH riptures with a Bereai lierean \ does not search the Scriptures mind ] What extraordinary encouragement / is set before us to become wise! " The $ wise shall inherit glory." "They that be J wise shall shine as the brightness of the j firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." ! As we have seen, " the Scriptures," that is, Moses and the prophets, eluciJated in part by the writings of the apostles, "are able .to make us wise," if we will study them, and it is written that " the wise shall understand." Now, to afford you such facilities to this end as we can command, or place at your disposal, we have taken this hall. Compared wiih the palatial temples of this city, it is a very hum hie and insignificant place. It is, however, the best accommodation we can otter yon at present. It is water-tight, capable of being well warmed, and is well lighted by day and night. The truth resides not. in palace» and stately mansions, and its friends have been for the most part less comfortably and conveniently housed than in this room. We think it will answer the present purpose, and prove no obstacle to the acquisition of the truih. Next Lord's day evening, then, we propose to meet here to commence our free and friendly examination of the Holy Scriptures. The chair will betaken precisely at half-past seven by one appointed by the society which has rented the hall. The members will sing a hymn, and one whom the chair shall invite will offer prayer to God for a blessing upon our endeavors to understand his word. After this the Scripture investigation meeting will be considered as opened. The chairman will then read the portion of Scripture to be examined, upon which he will invite any one present, who believes that the Bible is a true and faithful record of the p-ist, and an infallible exponent of God's purposes in

regard to the future, to favor the audience with what appears to him to be the obvious meaning of the passage. He may occupy as much time as he pleases not exceeding fifteen minutes; at the expiration of which he will give place to another, who will conform to the same regulation. Speakers will be careful to expound, not to dispute. They will be expected to explain the passage read as they best can without criticising the expositions of those who have preceded them, for they must remember that the meeting is an assembly of learners, not of teachers— the only teacher recognized being the word iUelf. This is the only doctrinal authority admissible; hence every exposition to be convincing must be sustained in all \U points by a "Ihus it is written" and a '· thus suiih

the Lord," h\ the plain, grammatical, parallel, and contextual signification of the word?. After the passage has been sufficiently han1 dled, tin chairman will then present his understanding of the matter, which will close 1 the subject for the evening . He will then notify the audience what will be the topic or passage for consideration at the next meeting, that individuals may think over it during' the week, so that they may not rise to speak without reflection. The members will then sing, and the meeting will be dismissed with thanks to God through the Lord Jesus Christ for his word, and the privilege enjoyed of thus publicly investigating it in security ands peace. Having spoken to this effect, we announced the first chapter of Genesis as the portion to be examined at our next meeting. We then sang a hymn, and having supplicated the blessing of God, dispersed to our several abodes, very well satisfied with the commencement we had made in this great heart of the American Union. EDITOR. Μυττ HAVKN, WESTCHKSTKR, Ν. Υ., Dtc.,

1852.

THE FRENCH EMPIRE. " S P I R I T S OF DEMONS DOING WONDERS." BT THE EDITOR.

The text at the head of this article occur* in Rev. xvi., 14,· and Aignifies the same thing as " unclean spirits " in the preceding verse. An unclean spirit is a power, or political jurisdiction or influence paramount in a country. I do not mean to say that " unclean spirit" would be correctly defined thus in all texts where it occurs; but this I do say, that when the phrase occurs in a prophecy which treats of things political, it signifies a potential influence belonging to some particular government. This use of the phrase is manifest in Zechariah's prophecy of the deliverance of Israel's land from the desolating abomination at the time when Judah "shall look on him whom they have pierced and mourn for Him."a His words are "And it shall come to pas 8 in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I shall cut off the names of the idols out o' the land, and they shall no more be remembered : and also I will cause the prophets and the Unclean Spirit to pass out of the land." It is clear that this still refers to the future, seeing that u the names of the idols " are yet remembered in Israel's land. The "images of the saints" are still worshiped or remembered there by Catholics, Latin, a Z e d » . xi;i., 2.

10

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come,

Greek and Armenian. Their prophets pervade , rebellious. History shows that this was the land, " speaking· lies in the name of the effected by prodigious wars—the fire deLord," and the "Unclean Spirit" protects scending from the heaven; which is the them in their ministrations from destruction apocalyptic mode of representing war oriby each other's hands. This is the present ginating from the powers that be. Paul recondition of Palestine, but as the prophel fers to σημεία of this kind in speaking of the teaches, not its final one. The Ottoman appearing of the lawless power, when he nor the power destined to supersede him for says its coming is according to the energy u short time, is not always to reign lord para- of the Satan in all authority, (δυνάμει, dymount there. It is to "pass out of the namei,) and prodigies, (σημεία,) and false land," and to defile it no more for ever. miracles, (τερασι ψευδού?, terasi pseudous;") The answer to the question then, " What —political authority, wars, and falsehood of is the unclean spirit now in Israel's land 1 is every kind, emanating from the civil and that it is the Ottoman power's, which power ecclesiastical Satan, or adversary of the is for the time being answerable to the saints, are the well-known historic energy Dragon, out of whose "mouth," or govern- which has established the two-horned and ment, an unclean spirit is seen by John to image, or Little-Horn-of-the-West, domingo forth. Three unclean spirits are three ion existing upon the earth, or Holy Roman political emanations or policies proceeding territory, at this day. from those several governments exercising The middle-age image of the old pagan jurisdiction over the territory of the Great Roman imperiality bein^f set up and vitalCity, known in history as the Roman Empire. ized, it becomes a worker of prodigies in its Rome, Constantinople, and Vienna, are the turn, in Rev. xvi. and xix. its mouth is. «eats or thrones of these dominions, sym- styled " the False Prophet," and is, in th(| bolized by the Dragon, the Beast, and the latter text, said to " have worked the prodw False Prophet. Their heads, or chiefs, are gies in the presence of the Beast" with twp the δαίμονα or daemons, (not devils) who horns; that is, by its policy it has involved enunciate the "spirits" characterized as the two-horned dominion in wars with other " unclean." They are evil demons because powers, ultimating in great changes, and the spirits that issue from them are unclean, them with it. and consequently unholy. The Emperor of The mission of the three Frog-excited Turkey, the Emperor of Austria, and the spirits is warlike. They are to " go forth Pope, are the genii or demons, who preside to the kings of the earth and of the whole over the utterances of the symbols indica- habitable " (τμς οικουμένης'ο\ης,tees oikoumeted ; and if the reader have been observant nees holees,) to gather them together for the of old-world affairs for the last four years, war (εκ πολεμον, eis polemon) o f that great he will not have failed to remark, that their day of the Alnrghty God." Their sending " spirits," or several policies, have been iind thus defined presents them with an arena continue to be, originated and shaped by coextensive with the Turkish, Austrian, and the movements of the French nation, the French empires, together with the kingdoms svmbol of whicn I have before shown to be and principalities of papal and protestant THREE FROGS. For this reason John styles Europe. An imbroglio will be formed from them 'όμοια βατραχοις, like to Frogs—policies, which no European state will be exempt. Turkish, Austrian, and Papal, adopted in Its results will be politically wonderful, the consequence of events in France. earnest of which is found in the rapid and These three Frog-like Spirits of Demons extraordinary resurrection of the Napoleon are said by the apostle to be miracle-work- empire. The Frog-power has proved itself ers ; that is, -ποιούν™ σημεία, poiounta semeia, wonder-working in the development of its demon-spirit?, effecting prodigies. In Rev. own imperiality; we need not therefore be xiii., 13, the Two-Horned Beast is said to incredulous or surprised at the idea of fu" do great wonders," (σημεία, seemeia,) whichture and greater wonders being manifested in the next verse are termed " those miracles as the result of its policy antagonized by which (ΐ"ά σημεία a, ta seemeia ha) he had the daemons of Constantinople, Vienna, and power to do in the presence of the Beast" Rome. with ten horns. This power of the two- Wonder-working is characteristic of the horned dominion to work prodigies was times. The revolutions of 1848 were extraormanifested in its " causing fire to descend dinary. They proposed results which have refrom the heaven," by whicK it compelled the markably and signally failed in every instance. dwellers upon the earth out of which it After the shaking the thrones experienced, arose, to set up an Image of the Sixth or the triumphs· of absolutism must astonish I nperial Head of the tenThorned dominion; even tlie tyrants themselves. The people which image it so energized by its power as lave accomplished nothing they desired, and to enable it to speak, and cause to kill the the governments have succeeded beyond

The trench Empire.

11

their most.sa*v »e expectations: the pur- sword, with which the angels of God (to pose of God a.one has progressed in the whom is subjected the present world, and confusion of the times. That purpose has whose administration is His providence) are been the re-establishment of the French Em- pire cest la paix—" the empire is peace " — grasp, by which they are in motion towards Louis Napoleon, is unworthy of belief. The i the preparation of that war to which they empire, is war and not peace. u There is no< are exhorted by the prophet JoeU—a war peace for the wicked, saith God." He hath I which is begun by the policy of the Frogrevived it in his providence as his sword, have given to my servant Jacob. And they their own land, and have left none of them j shall dwell safely therein, and shall build any more there, neither will I hide my face i houses, and plant vineyards ; yea, they shall any more from them, for / have poured o\U ' dwell with confidence, when 1 have executed my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith I judgments upon all those that despise them Adony Yehowah—the Lord Jehovah."f > round about them ; and they shall know that 6. " And it shall come to pass in that day, > I am Adony Yehowah—Lord Jehovah."f that the Lord shall beat off from the channel > 9. " As I live, saith Lord Jehovah, surely of the river (Euphrates) unto the stream of > with a mighty hand, and with an outEgypt (the Nile), and ye shall be gathered ? stretched arm ; and with fury poured out, one by one, Ο ye children of Israel. And it ·' will I rule over you. And I will bring you shall come to pass in that day, that the great j out from the peoples, and will gather you out trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come j of the countries wherein ye are scattered, who were ready to perish in the land of As- with a mighty hand, and with a stretched syria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, > out arm, and with fury poured out. And I and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount I will bring you into the wilderness of the of Jerusalem."} •1 peoples, and there will I plead with you face 7. " Therefore will I save rny flock, and ; to face. Like as I pleaded with yonr fathers they shall no more bo a prey ; and I will ν in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so judge between rattle and catilo. And I will •; will I plead with you, saith Lord Jehovah."{ set up one shepherd over them, and he shall • 10. " I will accept you with your sweet feed them, even my servant David (i.e., Be- ; savour, when I bring you out from the peo• Isai. xi. 10—14. f Ezek. xxxix., 25—29. X Ieai.xxvii, 12, 13.

Ezek. xxxiv. 32—29. | Ezek. xxviii. 24—26, X Ezek. xx. 33—36.

Expectation Preceded the Advent. pies, and gather you out of the countries with Christians, we need not prove as a prewherein you have been scattered, and I will liminary the truth of the books of the Covenant, for these are emphatically as requisite be sanctified in you before the nations."* 11. "Hear the word of Jehovah, Ο ye to them as to us. Mr. Dias is, therefore, nations, and declare it in the· isles afar off, perfectly correct to step forward at once to and say, He that scattered Israel will gather the character of the Messiah, as laid down him, and keep him as a shepherd doth his in Scripture. And this, we think, far more flock. For Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob, important than his preceding discussion conand ransomed him from the hand of him that cerning the authenticity of the gospels, acts, and epistles; for our religion is true, not bewas stronger than he."f 12. " Fear not, for I am with thee ; I will cause the grounds of Christianity are not bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee proven, but because it is a system, one and from the west; I will say to the north, Give entire in itself, and was instituted by God, up; and to the south, Keep not back ; bring and sprung from Him long before the followmy sons* from far, and my daughters from ers of the self-styled Messiah of Nazareth the ends of the earth ; even every one that is was in existence. The prophets speak of a called by my name; for I have created him Messiah, or, if you prefer the word, a Christ, for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have who is to accomplish all that has been predicted of Him. Now, precisely such a one made him."{ and no other can be received as the fulfiller After adducing these testimonies, parts of of Scriptural prediction ; but if he omit any which we have italicized, and inserted here of these, he is not the one whom we expect: and there a parenthesis, Mr. Dias proceeds —though he accomplish all the gospels say to remark, " It is needless to transcribe more of him, though by his agency, the blind see, passages declarative of these great events of the deaf hear, the sick are made whole, and which the prophetic writings are full. From the dead are called to life. Such acts are these, and many other prophecies of a like not his mission ; for this is the redemption of nature, we may collect the office and chaIsrael and the world; and unless this have racter of Messiah. But, before we proceed, been, or be accomplished, the personage unit is certainly necessary to explain the meander question cannot be the King of the ing of the word Messiah. Messiah, or Jews." Mashiah, as pronounced in Hebrew, signifies Anointed, or THE ANOINTED ONK. It is We shall reserve our comments upon the applied to kings, priests, and prophets, as premises now before us until another issue. they were anointed to their office. Jews, In the meantime, the reader will please to therefore, by way of eminence and emphasis, make himself particularly familiar with the called, and continne to call, that person passages quoted by Mr. Dias from Isaiah, whom God should raise up, and make the > Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. They have, indeed, instrument for the accomplishment of such ί never been fulfilled as yet; this admission, prophecies, as particularly describe and \ however, is no objection to Jesus; it only foretell the deliverance and glory of the na- > argues their future accomplishment—but by tion, by this name. Now, if Christians will $ whom ? The Jews cannot answer the quesprove that Jesus fulfilled these prophecies, j tion. They think it will not be by Jesus : — they will convert the Jews, for they require · we have the full assurance of hope and faith nothing else.'' ί that it will. Upon this the editor of the Occident ro- \ EDITOR. marks, "With due deference to the author, we wish to observe that only the mission of Jesus as the Messiah would thereby be prov- EXPECTATION PRECEDED THE ADVENT. ed, but not the character which Christians ! A T the time of the coming of Christ there (Catholics and Protestants he means) as- v was a general expectation; among our naMime tor him ; since the one whom we expect tion, it was universal. Pious Simeon and is to be a man acting under the power and Hannah, and many other devout persons, guid'/nce of the Lvrd, but not a part of the waited for the Consolation of Israel. The divinity. Such a being is contrary to Scrip- Pharisees sent priests and Levites to ask ture, and is not the Christ whom we expect." John the Baptist whether he was the Christ. In a note appended to Mr. Dias' letter by The common people exclaimed, " If thou b>> Mr. I.viac Lepser, the editor of the Occident the Christ, tell UR plainly!" Hence they remarks, « The abovo letter is, according to 'were ready to receive any one who pretendour own view, the most important of d e s c - ed to be the Messiah. And it is worthy of ries thus far. it states truly that in argum* observation, that many falso Christs came after Jesus, but none before. The Samaritans, likewise, had the knowledge of a Sa•Ez«k- xx. 41. fJer.xxxi. 10,1J. vior, and expected his coming, as is evident JUa. xliii. 5, 6,7.

28

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come.

rom the conversation of the woman of Sa- And the very words of Haggai* seem to be maria at Jacob's well. John, 4. literally translated by Virgil. Thus saith the But it is still more remarkable, the Ro- prophet of the coming of the Messiah : "Yet ) · . · - t . i » »t * T ι ι .i mans themselves had the same expecta- ( once, it is a little while, and I will shake the tions ; and not only they, but all the eastern ;. heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the part of the world, which may well include J dry land ; and I will shake all nations, and all that was then known. Thus saye Sue- ] the desire of all nations shall come." And tonius, (Vit. Vesp. 4,) " that an ancient and t thus the poet:— constant tradition had obtained throughout ^«F j l t e r o n t h h i h h now,e t h e time| all the East, that in the fates it was decreed, \ Offspring- of u'od, ο thou great gift of Jove ι 0 hew rld h eaven that, about that time, some who should come g^ !*!' i ?, '. . > e a r t h ; and seas do shake; HI

r

T J

L

u i i ·

ii

J

· ·

' Behold, how all rejoice to if reet that glorious age. '

J b h h from Judea should obtain the dominion, or; ' government, i.e., of the world, which the < And as if Virgil had been learned in the Romans then possessed." And Cornelius < doctrine of Christ, he tells that these gloriTacitus (Hist 1. 5, c. 13) speaks almost in } ous times should not begin immediately the same words: telling of the great prodi- -( upon the birth of that wonderful person then gies which preceded the destruction of Jem- j expected to come into the world, but that salem, he says : " that many understood I wickedness should still keep its ground in them as the forerunners of that extraordi- < several places. nary person who the ancient books of the } , V e [ s o m e t f m i m s h a l l 5 l i | |b e I e f t priests did foretell Should come about that < Of ancient fraud, and war shall still go on." time from Judea, and obtain the dominion." ί\ Virgil, in his famous fourth Eclogue, writ-ί Now, how the old pagan poet applied all ten about the beginning of the reign of He- < t h l s » l s n o t t h e question, whether in part to rod the Great, compliments the consul, Pol- ) Augustus Cawar, or partly to the consul lio, with this prophecy, bv supposing it ί Polll ,°> a n d P a r t l . v t 0 h i * 8 O n Salomnus, then might refer to his son, Saloninus, then ί " e w l y b o r n >b u t j t s h o w s t h e expectation born. But the words are too great to be ' t h e r e w a s a t t h a t t i m e > o f t h e b i r t h o f a v e r ? verified of any mere mortal man; and he ί extraordinary person, who should introduce speaks of such a golden age, and such a i a n e w a n d 8°}™n a g e > and both reform and renovation of all things as cannot be ful- \ £ o v e m t h e w h o l e w o r l d · ~ F K E Y · filled in the reign of any ordinary kinp·. [ —— And Virgil expresses it almost in the words > UEAKΔ Ν ηπΈΒΡΒΕΤΑΤΙΟΝ DISPUTED, thethe glorious age of Messiah; of a they newtell heavBROTHER :—ι nave to man* you tor of Holy Scriptures,* wherein ct )/ ens and earth then to begin, and to be finally ί >τ°ϋΓ Mention to my inquiry concerning the completed at the end thereof. " ί predictions of our Lord recorded in Matt. t xxiv. I had long before concluded that you "The last a-e decreed by fate is come, l, a t |w } l 0 U y forcrolten it, and SO Was agreeaAnd a n e w frame of ail things doth begin : , . ? ' . , ι -Λ..The Holy Progeny from heaven descends/ « bly undeceived. Nevertheless, admitting Auspicious be his birth, which puts an end / your interpretation to be correct, you have, for J

(

e

f

r

lVoidr»a V:f g , r«T&^e rr.h,·

l

l

K1

\ ««, reencompassed to subject with difficul-

_, ties which the view of it I presented to you Thus the poet depicts in glowing colors, · s e e m e d t o o b v i a t e < A i l o w m e b r i e f l y t 0 state and makes a paraphrase of Isaiah's predic- ; these.—If the tribulation ended A. D. 7 1 ; if tion. The prophet says : « The wolf and ; l i t e „ i u r n i n a r i e s " o f ver. 29 were " Hebrew^' the lamb shall feed together, and the lion < a n t l w e r e t h e n gh*ry" That the events predicted in ver. 29 to make reconciliation for iniquity," is thus ί and 30 are represented as immediately con· ixpressed in this eclogue:— * < secutive, cannot, I think, be denied without \ forcinrr the words from their natural and ob·

ΎΛ^^ΤΛΖ:Ζ^Ι*,

From her perpetual bondage and her fear" *Iaai. lxv. 17.

f Dan. ix. 24.

I vious meaning. To suppose that 1800 year, \ were intended to elapse between the shaking -

* Hag. ii. 6.

The Prophecy of Mount Olivet. of the political heaver, referred to and the α then" of ver. 30, is to violate the simple unconstrained sense of the passage. Then in regard to the " generation" intended. " Verily I say unto you, this generation shall notpass till all these things (doubtless those He had enumerated) shall be fulfilled." According to Luke, our Lord continues: 14 When these things begin to come to pass then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh" and illustrating his injunction by the parable of the lig tree, adds, " so likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand." Here the fulfilment of "these things" is connected with the advent of the kingdom as an earnest of its nearness. How unmeaning if they were fulfilled in the first century ! •'Verily," he goes on to say, " This generation (could it be the one he was addressing?) shall not pass away till all be fulfilled." Is it not evident that the coming of the kingdom is included in the " all?" And this was still unmanifested when the last of that ** generation" lay down to sleep in the dust. These difficulties attending your theory, dear brother, are to me at present inseperable. In the one I reported to you, they were annihilated by simply supposing the " tribulation" co-extensive with " the times of the Gentiles,*' and the " generation" that which should witness the " signs" coming immediately after. I see nothing in Luke's testimony to refute such a supposition. These, " he writes," are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. This is making the days of vengeance terminate only with the woes of Israel. But you say that verses 16, 20, and 21 of Matt, xxiv, show that the tribulation must be confined to the " those days indicated." They show certainly that it would be great, excessive then, but they scarcely prove that it must terminate with them. Those days of terror and distress were " shortened for the elect's sake," but we know that Palestine has been prostrate under the sway of Gentile oppression ever since, whilst her children have been wanderers, persecuted and tyrannized over by their Gentile rulers. Israel did not drink to the dregs the cup of God's vengeance, Is. 51. v. 17, in A. D. 71. Jerusalem's α warfare" or " appointed time" was not then " accomplished." Is. 40, v. 2. Her " tribulation," what has it been but her subjection to Gentile tyrants, and this can only end when her own King shall return to reign in the midst of her. You say the ·· signs" must not be looked for in the natural heavens. I do not expect them there. But I think they are as characteristic of the lime when " the thrones shall be cast down,"

Dan., vii. 9., as of that to which you apply them. When the "Beast" is "slain" and " destroyed" and the " dominion taken" from the " little Horn" the Imperial Sun of Europe will be extinguished, and the misleading light of the Papal Moon quenched in darkness. Then when these are " destroyed in the brightness of his coming," the Son of Man shall be seen " in power and great glory." I must apologize for the length of these remarks. They have extended farther than I purposed. I shall be obliged if you will consider them at your leisure ; and if you can dissipate the difficulties that appear to me to attach to your interpretation of these deeply interesting predictions, I shall be very willing to accept it. Meanwhile believe me, dear brother, in faith and hope affectionately, PERM*

October 26th, 1852, THE PROPHECY OF MOUNT OLIVET. " T h o Tribulation of those days"—" T!ie End"—"Your Redemption draweth n i g h " — " T h e Kingdom of God nigh ftt band"— 41 T h e n , " explained.

The difficulty of our correspondent, " Perside la bien-aimie" in relation to " the tribulation of those days," consisting in the destruction of the city, the sanctuary,* and the mighty and holy people,f by the Prince's people, seems to rest on the import of the word " then," which is assumed to be immediate consecutiveness. That is, that the appearance of the sign of the Son of Man in heaven is immediately \o follow the tribulation and the eclipse of the luminaries, which Persis does not regard as the sun, moon, stars, and powers of the heavens of the Hebrew Zion ; nor indeed of the " natural heavens ;" but of the heavens of the Roman system of nations ex· isting at the end of 4* the time? of the Gentiles." What ί have said on page 214 of our last volume in reply to Persis need not be repeated here. The reader can refer to it and study it at his leisure, in the letter before as, Persis cannot see how the eclipsed luminaries can be Hebrew, because the Son of Man's sign, &c, and the advent of the kingdom, said to be nigh at hand, did not then appear. The interpretation of the prophecy of Mount Olivet, evidently to my mind, perplexes Persis for the same reason that all other interpreters have failed to give a consistent and intelligible exegesis to it— they fail to 'perceive that it is a prophecy of tilings pertaining exclusively to israeVs commqnwealtJij " Ο Jerusalem, Jerusalem, behold your house shall be left with you deso· * Dan. ix, 26.

f Dan. viii, 24.

30

Herald of tL· Kingdom and Age to Come.

late. For I say unto you, ye shall not see Now, it is clear from all this, that " those me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is He days11 referred to in verse 22, were days conthat cometh in the name of Jehovah." In temporary with the life-time of the persone this the epochs, beginning and ending the whom Jesus was addressing, and not of us or prophecy which followed, are indicated— of our successors ; and that during their curfirst, the desolation of Jerusalem's house ; < rency there was to be a " tribulation," or and lastly, the pronouncing of Jesus blessed "distress in the land," unequalled in Israel's by the Hebrew nation at his appearing. *' Ye history before, or by anything to happen to shall say;" that is, Israel shall say, Blessed them after. There is, indeed, " a time of be Jesus of Nazareth. "Jesus spake to the trouble" yet to come, which will transcend multitude and to his disciples," concerning anything that has befallen mankind since the those who sat in Moses' seat, or throne. In Flood; but that is to affect the Gentiles* by speaking to them, he denounced the govern- the sword of Israel and the plague» of God. ment—not the government of the Gentiles in Israel will not then be destroyed as they Israel, but the Scribes, Pharisees, and hypo- were in the day of their '· great tribulation ;" crites, so far as they had to do with public but they will be delivered. It will, doubtaffairs. The twenty-third of Matthew suffi- less be *' the time of Jacob's trouble ; hut he ciently establishes this point. will be saved out of iV'\—a characteristic In the next chapter he confirms his dis- which distinguishes the two troubles of Iscourse to two disciples who came to him rael; for in the last the yoke of oppression is " privately," and sought to know more par- to be broken from off Israel's neck, " and ticularly concerning the things he had been strangers shall no more serve themselves of previously treating of before the multitude. him.* " Tell us" said they, " when shall these One thing, I suspect, that has misled Perthings be ? And what the sign of thy com- sis in regard to the time cf the tribulation, is ing, and of the end of the world?" The " say- the phrase," the end of the world," in the ings" which followed were addressed to them third verse. There is a sense in which the for their especial benefit. " Take heed," tribulation was to continue to the end of the said Jesus," that no man deceive you." " Ye world, but not in the Gentile sense of the Bhall hear of wars and rumors of wars ; see phrase. The Greek is great glory," the kingdom of God will be apdicted " beginning to come to pass") they ί parent also—its advent will be an accomlooked up, and exalted their heads, as men \ pushed fact. The kingdom nigh, and the do when they see deliverance coming from i kingdom come,, do not signify the same thing, any great embarrasment or distress. The kingdom was nigh in the sense in which As to the kingdom of God being; nigh at James said, the Lord's coming was nigh; but hand whSlf the aisctples saw the things pre- not in that of his " coming in his kingdom," dieted, this is my interpretation; The more ί mentioned by the thief on the cross; or of condenseiPnarrative of Matthew from the > " his appearing and kingdom," referred to twenty-first to the twenty-fifth chapter inclu- / by Paul. King and kingdom are often used sive, and especially his twenty·fourth, is scat- / interchangeably in the scriptures. For in· tered over Luke's account from chapter < stance, Luke says, that " when Jesus was seventeen to the twenty-second inclusive, j come nigh to Jerusalem riding on the ass's He begins his reference to the Mount Olivet > colt, the whole multitude of the disciples

they cried of our father ' Jehovah." tention. Then in the next verse, Luke records ξ I conclude then, that "the kingdom of God Christ's words found in Matthew xxiv., 23. ) was nigh at hand," when " the king," " If any man shall say unto you Lo, here in ί though invisible, was supervising the operathe Chtist, or there ; believe it not." He ) tions of theseige of his rebellious capitol. does not, however, insert the words " the > ; Ae to the word " then," «τότε tote, I do not rj.ric*.»» but K,,t esays u « a ftimnlv > s e e that it presents any difficulty in the case; Christ;" simply «nH and nprrativpiv u u Neither shall they eay, Lo, here! or lo or that it necessitates immediate consecuthere." Lo here, or lo there, what ? it might tiveness, or contemporaneousness. We may be asked. The answer would be, " Lo here say with perfect correctness, General Washthe Christ, or the kingdom of God," which ington was elected President, then General are different forms of expressing the same Jackson, then Mr. Polk, and then General thing. But why should people on the land Pierce, without its being supposed that not run hither and thither after the Christ or they were immediately following one another the kingdom ? " Because," said Jesus," the with no President between. The " thens " kingdom of God, Ο Pharisees, is among you, j would be generally understood as indicative ίντος υμών, entos hymoon" for there is no J of indefinite succession, and leaving the kingdom in the absence of God's Christ; \ precise time of their several reigns undeOhrist and his dominion being inseparable. \ termined. This is the fact in relation to He is among you without ostentation, and Matthew's, or rather Christ's use of the yon receive him not. Then turning to his ·' thens " in ch. xxiv. 30. The eclipse and disciples in continuance of the subject, he fall of the sun, moon and stars, and the «aid to them, " The days will come, when shaking of the powers of Judah's heavens, ki ye shall desire to see one of the days of the or polity, were immediately after the triSon of man, and ye shall not see it." You [ bulation of those days " of " distress in the will desire to see him appear ; but he will \ land ; and then," or afterwards, "the sign of nut come "before you have gone over the \the Son of Man shall appear in the heaven;

not after, nor follow them : for as the lightning that lighteneth out of one part under heaven ; so shall also the Son of Man be in his day'—in one of his days: in one of them •ITheas. ii. 14—16.

presence ; ** and they," the tribes, M shall see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds of the heaven with power and great glory." This is the order of events in relation to the Jewish nation. Between the overthrow of its polity and the appearing of the sign of

Our Visit to Britain. the Son of Man, it would be favored with no visible manifestation of Jehovah, as in the daye of old. The interval was to be occupied by " the times of the Gentiles," during which Jerusalem, the great king's city, was ; to be trodden under foot until the time came to recompense them as they had meted out to Israel and the Saints. Between the events : of the 29th and 30th verses, 1800 years ; have nearly elapsed. The interval will soon be filled up, as we believe. We await with Israel " the sign," whose signification will work commotion in the Jewish mind, that in rejecting Jesus of Nazareth as king of the Jews, they have put from them Jehovah's Christ. Then looking upon Him whom they have pierced, will Israel mourn and be in bitterness for him as the first-born of God and his nation.* The Son of Man then acknowledged as their king, will enter on the work of building again the dwellingplace of David now in ruins, and setting it it up, as in the days of old.f He will then gather the still dispersed from all the nations ; and if any of them have been driven to the utmost parts of the heaven, he will send his angels (or messengers) with a great sound of a trumpet (making loud and general proclamation) and they shall gather his elect (people even all Israel) from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other," and " bring them into the land which their fathers possessed, and they shall possess it," us the Lord has said by his servant Moses.J All the things predicted as pertaining to the days of vengeance were fulfilled in the tribulation of those days. Judah's troubles since' the overthrow of the Hebrew polity, have been no greater than those of the saints ut tlif hand of the Little Horn, which is '· the Devi' md Satan" to them both. Eighteen hurtf-f^i years is too extended a period to be *ty)ctf{ 'days of vengeance." Eleveji hundrec >h >usand Jews perished in the seige of Jerw>&tan, and ninety thousand were sold for .-ti-ves. This was emphatically vengeau. which before or since Judah never ••χμ;) need so terribly, nor ever will again. But here,I must conclude, hoping that the difticnities of Persis have been met, and effectually removed. EDITOU. OUR VISIT TO BRITAIN. The tiJitor at Aberdeen—Tnvited to Dundee by the «J*mpbeilite»—Visita Dr. Dick—The Kingdom's Gospel announced—War declared against it—A " bishop" deposed—Camiibellism. shattered into fragments— descends imo the «treets and erects barricades—Tee* louliem JLHJ the Gospel—A new church formed—Cupar uneasy— Opinion» of Elnis Israel.

The writing of Elpis Israel being accom• Zcch. xii. 10; Rev. 1. 7. J Arm» ix. 11 ; Acts xv. 16. t Compare Mat. xxiv. 31 with Deut. τχχ. 1—δ.

33

plished, I set out on my second tcur through Britain. It will be unnecessary to enter into the details of this, inasmuch as it was pretty much a repetition of the first. I revisited all the places I had been to before, witli the addition of Dundee, and Aberdeen. I came to visit the latter city in consequence of a friend being there, with whoml was intimate, a resident of Northern Illinois. Through him 1 became acquainted with several members of the Campbellite church of liberal and candid minds, who, though not believing, or rather not clearly understanding what I contend for, desired to hear and judge for themselves whether I said aught else than what the Scriptures revealed. My visit there resulted in some submitting themselves to the " obedience of the faith," and the subscription of several to the forthcoming bonk. 1 The reader will not have entirely forgotten the tumultuous Campbellite convention at Glasgow in 1848, and that among the delegates there were certain very zealous opponents to myself. Belonging to this party were representatives from the Campbellite church in Dundee, meeting at Hammerman Hall in that town. They bad observed my progress, and the interest created by my lectures in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and elsewhere, and concluded that it was possible I might be heard in Dundee without danger to what they considered ;> the faith once delivered to the saints." They determined, therefore, to invite me ; and, supposing I was still in Edinburgh, though, in fact, in Aberdeen, they sent the following invitation, which was forwarded to me from thence. 13, Nelson-st., Dundee; 26th July, 1849. DEAR Sm,—Bein^ informed that you are to visit Aberdeen, we beg to say that a number of friends here are desirous to see you, und have a conversation with you over a cup of lea. if you could find it convenient to come this way, on your return, please say on receipt of this, and at what time. You will have a friendly reception, and your expense» will be paid. Yours truly, JAMES AINSLIE, J. G. AINSLIE, JOHN WATSON, ALLAN FOKDYCE.

John Tiioirmi, M.I)., Edinburgh. I received this note a day or so before my departure from Aberdeen. I concluded, therefore, to change my route ; and instead of making my way through Aberdeen to Perth, and thence to Paisley, to take the steamer, and landing at Arbroath, proceed by rail to Dundee. This accomplished, I was welcomed to Dundee by two of the friends

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come. who met me at the station, and conducted me to 13, Nelson-st, the residence of one of the signers, who had been Cicerone to my friend, President Campbell, during his sojourn there. Soon after my arrival tea was introduced, and disposed of, without anything unusual. A walk into the town was then proposed and accepted. It terminated at the coffee-house where the President had resided, and which was to become my domicil also for the time. About nine o'clock the coffee-room was occupied by a considerable company who had convened as the " friends desirous to see and converse with me." Cakes, coffee, and tea were served up by Mr. Lamb, whose guest I was to become. After a sufficient interval, conversation turned from generals to particulars, and I was asked for an outline of the things I generally laid before the public in my lectures. Having given this, the question was mooted among them whether I should be invited to lecture in Dundee. I suggested the propriety of my withdrawal from their company while they should discuss that, supposing that there might be some opposed to it, who would feel more at liberty in their opposition in my absence. It was not thought necessary ; but I preferred it should be so, and withdrew. On being recalled I was informed that it was their wish that I should come and lecture in Dundee. But I could not then say, as I had sent an appointment to Liverpool, where I proposed to be after finishing at Paisley. I arranged, however, that I would return to Dundee from Paisley, if I could get released from Liverpool, which I managed to do as the appointments there had not as yet been made. The friends in Liverpool wrote to me at Paisley, and to them at Dundee, by the same mail, of which I obtained information as agreed upon by the following note : 13, Nelson-st, Dundee; 10th August, 1849. DEAR S I R — A s all arrangements for your lectures on Sabbath and the following days, have been advertised by bills, and in the newspapers, we shall look for you by the evening train to-morrow, by the Perth and Dundee Central Railway. The mail train arrives here about 7 o'clock in the evening. I am, dear sir, yours affectionately, JAMES AINSLIE.

On the morrow, accordingly, Τ went and delivered, I think, some seven lectures while I remained. During my stay there I was well cared for, and kindly treated. President Campbell's Cicerone was my guide in visiting around. He accompanied me on a visit to Dr. Dick, the celebrated author of the " Christian Philosopher" and other popular works. The doctor received us politely,

being free in conversation, and obliging in showing us his telescopes, through one of which he gave us a view of St. Andrews, from his observatory, some six miles in the distance, on the other side of the Tay. He accompanied us from his house on the way to the station, which afforded a brief opportunity to exchange a few words on the appearing of Christ and the Millennial Reign. He asked my views on these subjects, which I gave him as concisely as possible. " I suppose," said he, " you allow others to differ from you ?" « Certainly," I replied," I have no alternative, were I ever so disposed to be arbitrary; which I am not:" upon which he gave me to understand that he looked for a millennium, and a gospel reign, the result of a universal diffusion of science and philosophy, which would pave the way for a general reception of the gospel! Living four miles from Dundee, he did not attend my lectures there; though I have since learned he expressed regret to a mutual friend in Edinburgh that he had been unable to do so. Affairs progressed very smoothly in Dundee until my last lecture, which treated of " the gospel of the kingdom." This, though a Scriptural statement of the subject-matter preached as gospel to Abraham, the contemporaries of Moses, and to those also of John the Baptizer, Jesus and his Apostles, without any allusion to sects or persons, kindled a flame among the Campbellites which had not ceased to burn in Dundee when I left Britain. One of the Campbellite bishopric " became obedient to the faith." This turned u everything upside down. My affectionate" guide to Dr. Dick's, being " a bishop," if I mistake not, was greatly flustrated; and all his affection evaporated into alienation and opposition to the kingdom's gospel. " Persecution," writes one, has now assumed a very formidable appearance against us in Dundee. The first step was the deposition of him you baptized from what they term " the bishops'office:" and strange to tell, this has been done while as yet he had not opened his mouth upon any subject in the meeting since you were here. James Ainslie and company have become determined to check " the new light" in the bud; but contrary to their expectation the blade has made its appearance, and a stalk of no inconsiderable size has already sprung up. Since I last wrote five have been baptized. Two of these have delivered addresses to the brethren upon the subjects of the " new light" which have thrown the people into a complete consternation. On Sunday week the deposed bishop is advertized to give a trial discourse before the church, on the " new doctrines" before he can be again elevated to the bishopric; which he says he will do in earnest.

Our Visit to Britain.

35

At the meeting of their office bearers, held j wife was the weaker vessel, smartly replied, on Sept. 3, the following questions were pro- ^ " Then she should carry less sail." The posed to him to answer impromptu, upon > weak should not be stubborn. Andjyetwhen which the questions and answers were re- j we inquire if you taught anything they did corded in the church book. ) not know before ? " Ο no," says one, " we 1. Would you have fellowship with apai- { knew it all our days ;" " we knew it these dobaptist church ? \ twenty years," says another ; " I got nothing Ans. " N o . " J from Dr. Thomas," says a third ; and so on U. Have you not virtually cut us off by > to the end. These are the sayings of those rejecting our baptism without precedent in [ who are offended at, and afraid of the docthe New Testament, or being authorized by \ trine you teach." the Apostles ? '> The same writer continues, " On the evenAns. " No." ί ings of the Sundays that have intervened 3. If yours be the only scriptural baptism, j; between your visit and the present time, the why fellowship us who are unscripturally \ topic of conversation at our meetings at the baptized according to your notions of it ? j Hall, has been * the kingdom.' Old fancies Ans. I never stated anything connected > stand firm in the minds of some, but others with your baptism. I say " without faith it j are abandoning the fabrication of men, alis impossible to please God." If you had ) though they are not as yet appreciating the faith according to your own showing you ;' truth in full. 8ome light broke in upon were baptized. If you had not faith youde- j them last Sunday, and a storm of wrath has ceived me, and " to your own master you j been raised about my head. I spoke too stand or fall." \ strongly. They see the gospel is held by 4. Why are there two baptisms practiced ,j me to be somewhat different from their gosin the church? !: pel; and they who advocated and defended Ans. I am not aware of two. a fanciful kingdom, seem to have abandoned, 5. Have you not been twice baptized ? ί er at least temporarily left that position, and Am. No. \ come forward with their full strength to the 6. Have you not stuted that we were intro- { menaced point. None will venture to estaduced into the kingdom? '•• hlisli an inquisition on my account ; but I Ans. 1 have not taught the brethren any ; .«-hould not wonder if an ' act of conformity' other thing even yet. \ were not sought to be passed for speakers, 7. Say six months ago. Did you consider > or something else of like potency to prevent yourself baptized ? ) · the same words being again spoken to Ans. I now consider myself as having > them.' I wish they may not; but I cannot been deceived. ί help consequences. Honeyed words will 8. What is faith ? · not t'o with some." A ns. Fai tli is the substance of tilings hoped \ In December following, it was proposed for, the evidence of things not seen." \ to prohibit members from speaking the " now After till this questioning ihey declared ; doctrines, under pain of being compelled to ilkm.-elve.s as ignorant of his views us ever, ) withdraw from their fellowship." It was, and said,'' we do not really know what ίο ; however, moved and seconded, that the questliink of him, or what to do with him." Upon >; tion bo not entertained. Twenty-two said which he was deposed until they should I do not entertain the motion, and twelve said think over the matter. They concluded £ " do." Aly "affectionate" cicerone, who that his deposition should be permanent after \ bv inviting me introduced the " new dochis discourse, because the things believed ] t r i n e V voted their suppression, and so lost 4 - are subversive of the foundation of iJie Re- \ his vote. But our friend did not rest here, formation." It was alleged that the doctrine \ After about six months agitation the majori1 had taught u had serioudy damaged the I ty changed sides. One of the most active . in Dundee, and cast a stumbling block ί sneakers was voted out. This proved their

, ....... -)f Campbellite fellowship if they spoke writing from Dundee says, 4i if 1 were to ex- J out their convictions; but the absolute exHfiiine into thin allegation, and inquire who \ pulsion of " a l l who had been baptized in teemed most to «tumble, or be afraid of this ; such doctrines." This was Mr. James Ainsstumbliiior block, I shoujd find that they are I lie's piO|)osition. The effort was opposed uut those who think themselves the weaker \ by the persons aimed at, but unsuccessfully, brethren. And were I to give judgment in \ A resolution was carried by the majority, in the case, it would not be unlike that of ι that " we separate and appoint arbiters to the sailor who, on being reminded that hia | arrange the secular matters." Arbiters were

86

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come.

accordingly appointed, and on the first Thursday evening this convener reported, that by a majority they had decided, that those who disapproved, or had voted against a separation, should in the meantime have the use of the Hall. This was objected to, and a counter resolution was proposed. A couple of hours was consumed in stormy debate, at the expiration of which the meeting broke up without any formal decision being arrived at. But after thunder comes the hail. The Camphellites finding they could not resolve things to suit them, determined to " descend into the streets," as the phrase is, and throw up barricades against the advocates of the kingdom. This was the fashion of that epoch in the old world. Republican barricades were everywhere thrown up by the rebellious against monarchy, and the Dundee Campbellites formed no exception to the rule. They would have none of the kingdom, nor would they tolerate any of its adherents. If they could not vote them out of their territories, they were determined to expel them by force from their citadel. Sometime in March, 1850, about seven months after my visit, the crisis came. The believers in the kingdom's gospel suspecting nothing, went as usual to Hammerman's Hall; but to their great surprise they found it locked against them, although one of their number, the deposed bishop I think, was responsible to the owner for the rent. On examining the outworks they discovered an undefended window, out of which the last of the evacuant garrison had retreated. Through this opening one of the excluded passed into the Hall, where he found the doors barricaded with forms and tables, and the windows made secure. The locking and barring out was twice repeated. On this first occasion, the barricades were overturned, and the battlefield with forms and tables, the trophies of the fight, remained for one day in the hands of the anti-hammer-men; and those who thought to pound their fellows in a fool's mortar, exposed themselves to the contempt that ever attends the rage of imbecillity. This defeat of the enemies of the gospel of the kingdom could not supersede a regular and formal settlement of affairs The anti-tyrannists, though one in opposition to our " affectionate" friend of Nelson Street and Arthur Lee, his valiant Sancho's barricade theology, were not united on the truth, nor on their views of how their victory should be improved. Many a brave and noble cause has been lost for want of wisdom and singleness of heart. One of their number informed me, that some of them wished to form from the victors, what he terms *' a motley association something like David's

army at Adullam."* That is to organize a new congregation out of the old materials on the basis of simple opposition to Camp· bellistic proscriptiveness. This would have created a church of some forty members, of which about half a dozen only would have been " obedient to the faith ;" the others being but friends to the proscribed from distaste of proscription, and not from fellowship with them in the faith of the kingdom's gospel. But such an association as this, having a name to live, but really u η be got ten of the word of life, was demurred to by brother George Schleselman, late secretary to the Glasgow Compbellite Convention, and others. They thought that now, if at any time, was the crisis for the formation of a society at Dundee, all of whose members should have been baptized upon a confession of faith in "the things of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ."! They considered that " without faith it is impossible to please God;" and that that faith which is alone pleasing to him is " the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things unseen,"}; " which are eternal."} They applied this principle to churches as well as to individuals, considering that God could be no better pleased with a misbelieving church, than with a misbelieving person. They would not give in, therefore, to the work of founding and building up a new Babel of iron and clay, destined to fall to pieces when the excitement which gave it birth should have passed away. They wanted to guard against the repetition of the late displays of ignorance, arbitrariness, and unbelief, and the only way to fulfil this indication was to begin in the truth and in the love of it, and all other good things would follow of necessity. " It was contended," in the words ol one of them writing to me," that human traditions and practices should receive no quarters; that human praise and popular plans should be treated as dangerous ; and that instead of conformity to the world, we should strive to conform to the doctrine of Christ, and the simplicity of conduct that almost (if not altogether) of necessity follows. You know we disapprove of all clericals of whatever name or degree, and discountenance the assumptions of all hierarcha from Christ's pretended Vicar on earth, to 4 Baptist pastors; and their mimic presidents.' We know the public has no true faith, therefore, we do not countenance it in its idea of offering acceptable worship to Israel's God; but repudiate the confection Christianity of our day, moulded and sweet* 1 SamTxxii. 3. % Heb. κι. 1.

t AoU. via. 12. i) 2 Ctr. ίτ. 18.

Our Visit to Britain, ened as it is to please the depraved taste of a world lying under sin." No objection could be urged against this but expediency. Its scripturality was admitted, but some did not think it expedient to be too rigid, or rather so rigid ; and therefore withheld their cooperation, preferring to invite the others to join them in establishing a more popular and liberal institution. But they declined, and each pursued the course best suited to their own views of things. v ? / e> ~* On my second and last visit to Durtdee, in 1850,1 was sorry to find a want of union, confidence, and co-operation among all who had yielded obedience to the gospel of the kingdom. Roots of bitterness existed, connected with total abstinence and what was supposed to be a tendency to episcopal ambition, or leadership. Alas, when will they who would be greatest learn to become the servants of the least of Christ's flock ? I judge not in the case before us, because I am not sufficiently informed of its real demerits; but I do most sincerely tender to all the friends of the kingdom's gospel the advice which I aim to practice myself, and that is, have patience till the kingdom comes, and seek no lordship until then. If we are found worthy of that kingdom, we shall share with Christ in his absolute and divine lordship over Israel and the nations. Surely this will be honor and distinction enough for the most ambitious. Till then, let us despise the microscopism of a little powerless and brief authority in the household of faith. A man of knowledge and wisdom, will have more authority and power thrust upon him by his fellows, than he will care to exercise, if his mind be rightly chastened by the truth. Let each esteem other better than himself, and all will be well. Men are sometimes made usurpers by the suspicious insinuations of others, and their intrigues to prevent usurpation. Let us beware of this ; and let all things be done with love as unto God and not to men, and then harmony will be undisturbed. Temperance is a virtue against which there is no law. Jesus Christ, our sovereign lord and king, was temperate in all things, and eo are all the members of his royal household. He and they are temperate as a fruit of the Spirit—a virtue resulting from the truth believed. He was not a total abstinent. Thie is a fact. Neither were Paul nor Timothy; nor can Christ's members be who drink of the new covenant cup. Total abstinence was never made a test of Christian fellowship by the apostles, though temperance was ; for it is written, ·' no drunkard shall inherit the kingdom of God." Drunkennesses disorderly conduct; and from every brother that walks disorderly,

we are commanded to withdraw ourselves. The saints have no right to impose tests of fellowship upon one another which the spirit of God has not imposed. The world, whose standard of morals is not God's standard, can impose what it pleases upon " its own;" but it has no right to dictate to Christ's household, who are its masters elect; nor should Christ's brethren permit it. They should be careful, too, not to drink into its spirit, nor to cooperate with it in carrying out its crotchets. If every earth born were a total abstinent, the world would be as far from the kingdom's gospel as if every man, woman and child were drunken with the fumes of alcohol. The soberest of the world's people have been made drunk with the wine of the great harlot's adultery.* This intoxication continues, and will obfuscate their intellects until the Lord comes to sober them.f Offer the kingdom's gospel to the most pious of the world's total abstinents, and they will reject it with contempt, and perhaps with rage; or if they profess to believe it, how few of them are sober-minded enough to obey it. Let not the saints misspend their efforts, and waste their energies. If they be zealous for total abstinence, let it be for a total abstinence from all sins. The gospel needs, and commands their whole soul. Let the world attend to the liquor, to tobacco, and to the emancipation of i(its oton" from political and social duress imposed upon thert^Dy sin, whom they serve; be it ours, the " heirs of the kingdom," and the future enlightened and regenerators of mankind, cooperator3 with Christ in the deliverance of the world, to mind our own business, which is to open the blind eyes, to turn them from darkness to li sent, nor things to come, nor height, nor duction of the kingdom's gospel into Dundee ; depth, nor any other created thing, shall be as I am able to give from the testimony of all < able to separate us from the love of God concerned. A goodly number of Elpis Is- } which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Should raele, and pamphlets on the " Wisdom of the \ all these things fail to make him accursed, Clergy proved to be Folly" has been put into ' and should the anxiety he felt for the salvacirculation among the people, which, 1 doubt < tion of his persecuting countrymen even not, will some dav or other open the eyes of) hypothetically prevail ? This cannot be. His many blind. On reading the book, the opi- < wish to be accursed, or separated from the nions expressed of Elpis and its author's < love of God to be manifested in full through motives and sentiments, were both exceed- ! Christ Jesus, must- have some other import inHy diverge and amusing. Some " admired \ than this. it. Others " never saw nor read anything \ Mr. Frey, an Israelite who,, admits the like it before. Some desired to know ·' when $ claims of Jesus to the Messiahship, has prohe is coming back ? Is he to set up a kirk ??> | posed the following solution of the difficulFor said they, " we could sit under him with > ty : Read the second and third verses, omitmuch pleasure." Dissentients objected that > ting the words, " I could wish that myself " the author was a Baptist." Others that he j were accursed from Christ;" then, afterwas " something similar in sentiment to a i wards replace them where they belong, and Mormon." "The principal thing," said one, read then as in a parenthesis, with " I did " I dont like him for is, that he makes every wish" instead of " I could wish." Thus, body out wrong, but himself." " He seems " I have a great heaviness, and continued to be clever," sa idothers, " butthenthe wis- \ sorrow in my heart * * * for my brethren, est of men may err." Speaking of the sky-s my kinsmen according to flesh, who are kingdomers a friend says, " they are more i Israelites:" then, " I have great heaviness bitter, more devilish, in their opposition to J and continual sorrow in my heart (for 1 did Elpis Israel. Everything that is good i s at- \ myself wish to be accursed from Christ) for tributed to evil; and what is true isinsinua- \ my brethren, my kinsmen according to flesh, ted as being only there for the purpose of \ who are Israelites." This exhibits the mind deceiving, and getting people to believe what > of the apostle very clearly. He had great is false." i heaviness and sorrow for Israel, because My intercourse with Dundee was brought) they were while he was dictating his letter, to a close by a soiree at which I had the plea- > as he was before his conversion. He had sure of meeting many persons who professed \ doubtless wished himself accursed from to be interested in the things of the kingdom ! Jesus ; and was probably an individual of the of God. After tea and coffee were removed, J crowd which cried out *' His blood be on us, questions and explanations became the order ttud on our children !" After Paul was enoff the hour. It th evening i untilil a late l h I was then h lightened, and came to measnre his position I bid farewell to Dundee, and not long after at that crisis of Christ's affliction, he beheld to Britain itself. What has been the condi- it in all its hideousness, so as to create in tion of affairs since that time I have received him a poignant sympathy for his kinsmen, no information. No news is said to be good \ who still remained under that self imprecanews. Therefore, in hope that increase in \ ted curse. faith ; and improvement in practice, have Euehomeen, $υχομην, the original word, been characteristic of the times, we draw translated " could wish" in the common verthe curtain upon Dundee, and turn to scenes sion, is the imperfect middle, and is renderbeyond the British Tiber and camp of Mars. ed by " I was wishing," ·' I wished," or " I did wish." This accords with what we have PAUL'S WISH ^s a ^ a b ° v e · He imprecated a curse upon himί self—a past action—while he was in an unIn Romans, ix. 3, Paul says, " I could \ converted state—another thing in the past: wish that myself were accursed from Christ > but when enlightened, neither all Israelites,

Flerald of the Kingdom and Age to Come. " nor any other created thing." could induce compared with the multitudes that are ever him to wish himself accursed again. This ready to embrace the shallow and flimsy part of Paul's experience well fitted him for traditions of men. This has ever been the sympathy with his unbelieving countrymen. case; but it is preeminently so new, as Paul Mr. Frey has well said, "He who has just s declared it would be when " the fulness of been rescued from a dangerous fit of sick- \ the Gentiles" should have come in. That ness, feels more for a sick person, than he . „ Mie';er» I yo^ t e l l m e nothing. it will, about the expiration of that time ; J u h |)alf a c r o w n with. u W hj show a transparent hkemzs cj the anginal, ^ him. If you tell f k n o w i e t i g e of animal, plant, or tiwsei, in the water above m e t | ) a t & m a n | i M p» b ] j c | y a n ( | p e r a J i s t e n t l y 'fii,™? .. . , . r . ; avowed his disbelief in almost universally rWhether the above be a real fact, or fie. d ) i n i o n s t h e r e b y e i l C 0 U n t e r i n g seιοη, I pretend not to say But the alleged . m i s r e p r e s e n t a t i o n , I suspect him to be »transparent Menes* is he spmi of the { honest, courageous man. And, paradoxanimal · · insect «.«nriion;» and sufficiently , . χ a g m " ^ t | l o u W ω 1 | JJ.e s t a t e well explains what I snpppsitioasly anirmed f . d f t | ) y a t m a n o n . c l l r i s t i a n t h o u g h he ο the anted.luv.ai» inι her present nonen-)us t | m n m o s t o r d T n a r y l ; ti,y 1 he transparent hkenesa of an insect j , , t e l j , , H £ i s b n u n d an(j s h o w a t h e oesides its ashes is tnoro tuan exists of " t h e , g t ^ a l t a c h m e n t > t 0 something higher S giants U.3 mongrel progeny of the " sons u ^ ^,^, ^ u ! e n t i a l cSnsid era. of God and the "daughters of men, swept . · . . , . rnore'than c a n be said for .nto prison by the Jsoach.c flood II you speak , ^ ^ γ „ ,0 m u c h r of them you cannot speak of them as per- • g , „ b e ballll,oozled b u a i n e s ? VVhat sons; but as of epirib, or of phantasms, , a r a ,ook ·η . ' a c c o r d i n t 0 transparent l i k e n e s s , now in prison. An-j , . , : f Th „ H ; t ted.luv.an «.spinte in prison' are postd,Iu-, ^, fa f o r [ m l | a o r c,.eed> m n phanhumata, whose or.ginals were he , c o m m n n i c * ted t o t h e c a r > a n d I 1 ) u m b led, parflesh and blood whose violence fil ed the , , kto |jk b n earth; and with whom God's spirit in Noah ; h · f ; n d ' h e e r t involved in f d strove for 120 years. What better name or j ^ f'-From formation a n d m a i n t e n a n c e * Gal. vi. s.

\ ο,η English Journal,

HERALD OF THE

KINGDOM AND AGE TO COME. And in Uunr days, even of Owse 7.wy.?, the God of Ifeaven shall set tip A KINGDOM which shall never jierish, and A DOMINION that shall not be left to another people, It shall grind to powder, and bring to an end all these kingdoms, and itself shall stand for ever."—DANIEL.

JOHN THOMAS,

NEW YORK, MARCH, 1863.

Ed.]

INQUIRY CONCERNING THE TWO-HORNED BEAST. DEAR BROTHER : — I would like to know if the Two-Horned Beast is to go into perdition before the building of the Assyrian Image, or the setting of it upon its ferro-aluminous, or iron-clay feet. If so, what is meant by " the Beast, and the Kings of the earth, and their armies, gathering together to make war against Christ and his army," and being taken,&c.—Is the Austro-papal constituent to be destroyed first by the judgment now working; and the Beast to be again organized in another form under Russia ? Also are the three brittle Toe-Kingdoms, those of Lombardy, Hungary, and Bavaria ? WILLIAM

Nottingham,

OWEN.

England.

THE FRENCH EMPIRE A HORN OF THE BEAST.

The Arms of France under Charlemagne. The Two-Horned Beast is not a dynasty, but a dominion for a long time contemporary with the Ten-Horned Beast; and stands related to the latter as the Little Horn among the Ten on the head of Daniel's Fourth Beast doth to the " Body" of the same. Daniel's Little Horn that hath Eyes and a Mouth, is represented apocalyptically by the Two-Homed Beast and the Image of the Sixth Head of the Ten-Horned Beast—the Two-Homed do-

5

[VOL.

III. No. 3.

minion answering to the Little Horn, and the Image to the Eyes and Mouth. These are Two Powers, and both imperial—the one being secular, and the other ecclesiastical. But, it might be asked, if the Little Horn without the Eyes and Mouth, be one secular imperial dominion, why is it apocalyptically represented by a beast with two horns? Would not a one-horned beast have been the proper symbol, seeing that the Eyes and Mouth are incorporated on the Image sustained by the two· horned power ? There is no doubt some force in this inquiry, which deserves consideration. The solution I would offer is therefore the following:— The symbol of imperiality, which ranks above regality, is a dragon in whole or part. This obtains in heraldry sacred and profane. The Two-Horned Beast is consequently an imperial dominion; for its voice" was that of a dragon—" he spake as a dragon." The Two-Horned Imperiality is terrene, not maritime in its origin. John saw it coming up out of the earth; whereas in regard to the Ten-Horned Beast, he says, " I saw it rise up out of the sea." The terrene and maritime beasts, then, represent two distinct political organizations, which, of course, do not occupy one and the same territory contemporai neously. The Dragon, the symbol of the ί Imperial Roman Majesty before the beasts of (the earth and the sea had existence, having < surrendered to the Sea-Beast" his power,and j his seat, and an extensive jurisdiction," was (then restricted to that part of the Roman ten» .) Above all, it is calling aloud for God to come swiftly to the reckoning, and to make short work of his final dealings with the Antichristian powers that have so long made the earth to groan and bleed. We may well be looking out for a rapid development of this new and unheard-of combination against the liberties and hopes of mankind. Already the isolated remnants of the free,—in the Swiss mountains, the valleys of Piedmont, and the plains of Sardinia,—are trembling for their very being. The lowering storm of priestly and despotic vengeance may burst on them at any moment. And the patience of God being exhausted suddenly, the fury of his wrath may come ere we think it possible. 'He will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness,—a short work will he make upon the earth.'" " In opposition," says the editor of the Journal of Prophecy, "to the unhealthy and unscriptural sentimentalism of those who will hear of nothing but peace, who look upon warlike preparations as wholly unchristian, and upon the military profession as unbecoming a saint,* we have the following noble appeal:"— "At the same time, in the third place, stand prepared and on the 4watch for these things coming to pass, and when they begin to come to pass, then look up, lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.' (Luke xxi. 28.) Meanwhile, yield not to imaginary visions, and premature dreams of security and repose, as if the world were grown too old and wise for the barbarism of war, and the sword were now everywhere to be sheathed amid the acclamations and congratulations of universal brotherhood. The horrors of war—the benefits of peace—it is impossible to exaggerate. But let us have a care lest we so deal with that great theme as to enervate and paralyse Soldi* rship in the armies of the (Jentiles is exee'edThe saints are 'the ingly " ι inhcroiniiig a saint." lord's, a iid noi Cmsar's soldiery; and if they will only have pat irnee, they will have military glory enough in vanquish ig Ctpsar's armies when their great Captain shall appear to set up the kingdom, which"shall "grind to powder and bring to an end all these kingdoms" of the world. Let the potsherds of the earth contend with their fellows. Let the saints abide the time, viewing the strife, and rejoicing in the end.—Editor Her. of K- d A. lo C.

the hearts and hands of the free, while the military despots that are ready to scourge the earth exult in the spurious sentiment, or false economy, that would disarm the defenders of truth and liberty, left now wellnigh a mere remnant in the Thermopylae of our Western world. What! When all Europe, under the sway of rampant tyranny and intolerant priestcraft, is bristling with the implements and resounding with the smothered din of battle, is it for the forlorn hope, on which the good cause must mainly depend, to become enamored of repose, and grasp too soon the millennial blessedness of peace ? It has been the Lord's Will formerly, —and if the Revelation be a true prophecy, it may be the Lord's will again,—to accomplish his great ends of judgment and mercy, through the instrumentality of wars and tumults, and these no child's play. From all unjust and unnecessary recourse to arms— from all unholy violence of speech or action —from all that wrath of man which worketh not the righteousness of God—may the nation and its people be preserved! But for the needful testimony, and the needful conflict,—whether on the field of physical power, or on the ground of faithful witnessbearing, even to persecution and bloody martyrdom, let the champions of independence and the soldiers of the Cross stand prepared. Let them watch in full armour and with unslumbering eye, lest that day of the Lord's short work on the earth should overtake them suddenly as a thief in the night." — Dr. Candlish's Sermon, "The Lord's short work upon the earth," quoted in the Quarterly Journal of Prophecy.

"JEW." He is not the Jew who is oue outwardly * * * ; but he is the Jew who is one

inwardly.—PAUL.

THE Rabbins do not restrict the appellation "Jew" to the natural descendants of Abraham, or Judah, any more than the Apostle to the Gentiles. For it is written in the Talmud, "that whosoever denies idolatry is a Jew." T. Rab. Megillo% fol 13. 1. Hence, in the same place, "Pharaoh's daughter is called a Jewess, because she denied adolatry, and went down to wash herself from the idols of her world can give you now? Can you be of oath which Jehovah swore to Abraham, say- f} sane mind and despise all these riches of ing, " I n t h e e and in thy Seed shall all the \ goodness ? Can you be rational and selfnations of the earth be blessed,"—a blessed-^ possessed? But if you despise them not, ness, in the establishment of which Israel • ' but "believe on God" that is, be fully persvill have been delivered out of the hand of > suaded that what he has promised he is able ill their enemies, and thenceforth enjoy the '; to perform, and will do it, will you not likeprivilege of serving Jehovah without fear, /' wise be willing to make any sacrifice to obJI holiness and righteousness before him all ] tain them? If you were till a certain time ihe days of their mortal career. The nation ; devoted to the world and the enjoyment of of our adoption will then be the chief of all < the flesh, but came afterwards to believe the nations dwelling safely in its own land, in these promises with an honest and good Uentiles by birth, but Jews by regeneration, ; heart, or as men say," sincerely," would not he goodness of God promises us resurrec- ) your viewsof things present and future have lion from among the dead, and exaltation to ; undergone a radical change? Would you the highest honors of the State; as it is > not cease to set your affections on earthly written, " the saints of the Most High shall > things; would not your affection rather be possess the Kingdom for ever, even for ever > transferred to the things contained in that and ever.'* ? " mercy kept for thousands ?" Yea, verily. Such mercy Jehovah keeps for thousands > And would you not have been led to this of Israel and adopted Gentiles who believe ? change of views, affection, and will by the the promises he has made to the fathers. ) goodness of God exhibited in the testimony But his goodness promises even more than < of his holy prophets ? Even so ; and you eternal life and honor to the just. It pro- < would then be a practical illustration of the mises them wisdom, and knowledge, and j Bible sentiment that " it is the goodness of physical strength, the possession Gf the J God that leadeth to repentance" world and the fulness thereof, glory, equality / God's goodness leads to repentance. It with the angels, and the high favor of God · leads believers to place themselves in such a for ever. He keeps this mercy in store for < relation to the truth, that " repentance unto them that love him, and obey his word. J life" may be "granted unto them."* The Who that believes these things would hesi- ί goodness of God is like to choice and goodly tate to respond, " Jehovah is good, for his ί wares exhibited in a bazaar for sale. Their mercy endureth for ever?" Yea, it is even ί goodiiness attracts the attention of passenso ; for " the mercy of Jehovah is from ever- \ gers, and leads them to desire to possess lasting to everlasting upon them that fear I them. The merchant grants their desire on him, and his righteousness unto children's \ certain conditions. They accept the terms, children; to such as keep his covenant, and \ and receive the right of property in them; to those who remember his commandments j and he promises to put them in possession to do them." Mark, dear reader, " to such > of them at an appointed time. The goodness as keep his covenant and obey him." Dost j of God which leads to repentance is exhibthou know what it is to keep Jehovah's cove- { ited in the gospel of the kingdom, and no nant and obey him? Know then that it is j where else; for this gospel is the grand to believe the gospel of the kingdom, and to be \ theme of the word of God contained in the baptized, or united to the name of Jesus, and} scriptures, old and new : and because it is thenceforth to continue patiently in welldoing. > displayed in that royal proclamation, thereThe covenant is the covenant concerning j fore, John the Baptist, Jesus, and the aposthe kingdom of which the gospel treats—the i ties before their Lord's crucifixion, went oath of national blessedness through Abra- j through the towns and cities, and country ham and his seed, which Jehovah swore to J parts of Judea, " preaching the gospel of the him when he brought him into the territory I kingdom of God, eaying, Repent; for the of the future kingdom. You must believe { Majesty of the heavens is arrived."f The this same particular gospel or you cannot I kingdom and arrival of its king were preach" keep the covenant," or have any part in j ed to lead those who believed it to repentthe kingdom it proclaims. j ance. The goodness of God set forth in the Now, beloved reader, " Despisest thou the s doctrine of the kingdom was preached also riches of this goodness of God ?" Read, after the resurrection, to lead men to repentmark, learn, and inwardly digest the good ance, that they might be made meet for its things of his mercy we have brought up * Acts xi. 18. herein, and 6ay if they are not of peerless f Matt. iii. 2 ; iv. 17, 23 ; Mark i. 14,15 ; Luke iv. import. Are not endless life and good days,: 18, 48 ; ix. 2, 6.

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come.

inheritance; but the motive thereto, founded that the God of heaven will set up a kingon the personal presence of the king, was not repeated. It could not b e ; for " the Majesty of the heavens" had departed into a far country.* The apostles no longer eaid .' " R e p e n t ; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand;" but, " Repent; because God hath appointed a day in which he will rule the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given assurance to all in that he hath raised him from the dead"f—-in other words, " Repent; because the Majesty of the heavens, who hath departed, will come again to rule the world in righteousness." This is now the glad tidings of the kingdom for repentance unto life. That " the gospel" and " the goodness of God" are phrases importing the same things, is clear, from the use of them by Paul, lie says : " the Jews became enemies to the gospel for the sake of the Gentiles" It was no good will to the Gentiles on their part, that they refused to believe ; but their refusal was the result of hardness of heart: therefore, as a punishment, God blinded and hardened them still more, so that, instead of filling his house or kingdom with believers who were "Jews by nature" he determined to make up the complement of the redeemed by believers separated from " sinners of the Gentiles" who should become Jews by adoption^ through faith in his goodness. Judah, though still beloved for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob's sake, fell from gospel favor through want of faith ; while faithful Gentiles were grafted into the stock of Israel's olive, and recognized as Israelites in every respect, save the accident of birth. This was just severity towards Judah ; but gracious goodness towards Gentiles. Thus it is apparent that the principle according to which the position of Judah and the Gentiles relative to Jehovah and his mercy was changed, was that of faith. To continue in the faith of the gospel was to continue in the goodness of God. Judah did not continue in that goodness, because the Jews did not continue to believe it. They were therefore " cut off." The offer was to be made to them no more. Judah should indeed be grafted in again to the national olive: that is, reorganized with the rest of the tribes as a nation and commonwealth,or kingdom, in their own land, under the sovereignty of " Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews ;" but those of them contemporary with the national blindness should have no share in " the joy" of their king—in those good things offered to individuals in the gospel of the kingdom. This gospel a n n o u r ^ s *Lu\cxix. 11, 12.

f Acts xvii. 30, 31.

dom and dominion upon earth, under whose righteous administration Israel and the nations will bo blessed with all temporal and spiritual blessings for a thousand years such as, that there shall be war no more that oppression and injustice shall cease that the earth shall give her increase ; that the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord's glory; that the poor shall be comforted and protected ; that there shall be but one religion, and so forth—these are gospel blessings for the world, when, by conquest, it is brought into subjection to Israel's king; but the gospel promises the glory, honor, power, majesty, and riches of the kingdom and dominion only to those persons who, before the manifestation of them> while they are yet a matter of faith, and not of sight, believe the promised goodness of it, and continue in it.

To Gentile people, the apostle saith : " If ψ. continue not in the goodness of God, ye also shall be cut off." In the same place, he saith : " Thou, Ο Gentile, standeH by faith" That is, so long as the Gentiles continue to believe the gospel of the kingdom, there shall be scope for repentance unto life, that they may inherit the kingdom; but when they become faithless of the gospel, as Judah was before them, the door of mercy shall with like destructive violence be closed against them. " Be not high-minded, but fear," saith P a u l ; "for if God spared not the natural branches of the olive tree, beware lest he also spare not thee." In the apostle's day, there was a disposition in the Gentile mind to high-mindedness, and to boast against Judah, who had stumbled at the stone of stumbling, and rock of offence. They do not seem to have entertained the idea of the re-engraftment of the broken-off branches, but concluded that God had cast Israel away as a people for whom he had no further use or affection. This was not the general idea; but some seem to have held it, or the apostle would not have contradicted the supposition. "God forbid," says he, " that such a thing should be ; he hath not cast away his people, Israel, whom he knew before he received the Gentiles into favor. But, though the apostles so promptly repudiated the notion, he did not succeed in repressing it. That Israel was finally rejected and cast away, took strong hold of the Gentile professors of Christianity, who in after times thought they were doing God service in persecuting the Jews. Even ! at the present day, after a lapse of eighteen i centuries, the receiving of Israel into favor again is regarded as fabulous by " Christian professors.*' Being " wise in their own con< celts," they boast themselves against the

The Goodness of Jews, and denounce as " carnal Judaizers" those who,with Paul, affirm that "God hath not cast away his people, Israel, whom he foreknew," Hear, Ο ye smatterers in prophetic lore, what Jehovah saith of Israel .· " T h u s saith the Lord, who giveth the sun for a light by day. and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night; who divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar—the Lord of hosts is his name." "If those ordinances depart from before me," saith the Lord, " then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me forever" Mark the " if" which is still further emphasized in the next verse, saying : u If the heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will cast olf all the seed of Israel for all that they have done." saith the LordA This is equivalent to saying, Israel shall never cease from being a nation before me, though they have done grievously in my sight; for the hypotheses upon which their casting away is predicated are absolute impossibilities. It is as impossible for their national existence to cease forever, as it is for feeble-minded man to measure heaven, or to search out the centre of the earth. We have said, that the non-restoration of Israel was not the general idea entertained by Gentile believers in the apostle's day. To say that it was, would be to affirm that they did not generally believe the gospel; for there can be no kingdom without the restoration of the Jews. There are those in our day who deny their restoration. This is proof-positive that they do not understand the gospel, which is the glad tidings of the restoration of the kingdom again to Israel, and the blessedness of all nations through their government; for, we repeat i t , " salvation is of the Jews." The spiritual condition of the Gentiles at the present crisis, in all countries of''Christendom," is the exact counterpart of Judah's at the period of the dissolution of their commonwealth. The Jews were without faith, and so are also the Gentiles of to-day. But thoa wilt perhaps say, Ο reader, how can that be ? Are there not thousands upon thousands of holy men engaged in preaching Christ in every land; and are not they sustained by millions of faithful men, who contribute immense sums for the propagation of the Christian faith ? We admit there are multitudes of preachers, and millions of sincere professors of religious faiths they call Christian; but where are the pnarhers and belie Lers of the gotpsl of the kingdom; and rarer still, where are the believers thereof, who obey it ? " Faith" such as it is. abounds, * Jer. xxii. 35-37.

God.

11

but " THE faith" is known to very few, and preached by still fewer. The Jews believed the gospel of the kingdom, but they refused to obey it in the name of Jesus, as king of Israel. They stumbled at him. They did not believe in him as Jehovah's Anointed* O n e ; and therefore rejected " the mystery of the gospel" in his name. It is so likewise with the Gentiles at this day. They preach a character they call Jesus, whom Paul did not preach. Compare the popular notions of Jesus Christ with the Christ delineated in the old and new scriptures, and you will be astonished, Ο reader, at the want of congruity between them ! The Gentiles stumble at the character called Christ in the Bible, even as the Jews did at Jesus. These repudiated a suffering Messiah ; the Gentiles reject a Christ who shall subdue the nations by the sword; replant Israel's olive in its native soil; restore the kingdom and throne of his father, David; sit upon it for a thousand years, and as sole monarch of the world, rule all nations as Jehovah's vicegerent upon the earth—the Bible is at variance with them both, for it not only reveals a [.Christ who should be made perfect through sufferings, but one that should do all these things beside?. We repeat it with profound conviction, that the gospel is not preached, it is not believed, nor is it obeyed by the religionists of our day. The exceptions to this statement are so very few that they do not affect the generality of its application. If, as in the days of Elijah, there be seven thousand in Christendom who believe the truth and have obeyed it, our statement is not at all invalidated thereby. They who believe in a gospel of kingdoms beyond the skies to be possessed with a Jesus who is to return to earth only to destroy it, believe a gospel that has no place in the Bible. How high minded and wise are professors in this day in their own conceit! They plume themselves in their Christianity and spiritual intelligence, saying " they are rich and increased in goods, and have need of nothing; but know not that they are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." So Egyptian is the darkness which beclouds their minds that they discern not the awful crisis which is advancing upon them with gigantic strides. They are sporting themselves with their own deceiving, while destruction is at the door. Faithless of the go?pel, highminded, and wise in their own conceit! This is itself a great sign of the times. By faith we stand; by unbelief we fall. What then remains ? Nothing more, but that the Gentiles be cut off, and the process of their engraftment be terminated. Short will be the work when it ia once fairly under weigh.

78

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come,

The cutting off accomplished, the gathering in of Israel's tribes will then proceed, and shall not be intermitted until "all Israel shall be saved." Hear, in conclusion, what Jehovah saith by the hand of Moses concerning this time of trouble coming upon the world: " The day of the calamity of Israel's foes is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste. For the Lord shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up or left. See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me. 1 kill, and I make whole; I wound, and I heal; neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand. For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say 1 live for ever. If I whet my glittering sword, and my hand take hold of judgment, I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me. I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh ; with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy." When this shall be perfected, then u Rejoice, Ο ye nations, with his people ; for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land^ and to his people." EDITOR.

THE PEOPHETIC STYLE. IN the prophetical style the figurative and the real are wonderfully intermixed, to the utter confusion of the rules of the technical rhetorician; insomuch that, if I err not, Dr. Blair, the father of our Scottish school of taste, (which, however, has less to do with Scotland than with any land, true indigenous Scottish intellect and deep Scottish feeling having ever rejected it as a miserable and unnatural importation from the cold-hearted and infidel school of France,) could find only one complete and faultless metaphor or figure in the Old Testament which is not mixed with the literal: for nothing do they abhor so much as a mixed metaphor. Poor word-slaves ! how nnsufferable are y e ! What puny minds, bound in fetters of feebleness ! Ye should imitate God's word, and not ask God's word to imitate you. If ye had the same free and rich spirit, ye would have the same free and rich language. But, with your miserable canons of taste and criticism, ye have now, these fifty years, been starving the free and deep spirit of the Scottish people with correct and elegant compositions, as ye term them, which have in them no nourishment of truth, and are as little entitled to the name of sermons as my child's toy to the name of that real

thing which she fancies it to be. Oh, I abhor and nauseate, as much as any Scottish peasant who wears the blue bonnet, these empty, heartless, feckless, foisonless productions of what is called the moderate school of Scotch preaching, at the head of which stands the Rhetorical Professor refered to above. But, to return from a digression which the bitter memory of many blighted parishes of my native land forced me into. I observe again, that it is the use and wont of the prophetic style to intermingle the figurative and the literal: for this reason— that truth is one, and the creation, in all its parts, an expression of that one truth. The similitudes are therefore not accidental resemblances, but real, though diversified expressions of the same truth. The figures of the Scripture, taken from nature, are the Holy Spirit's expressions of what nature was fashioned and is preserved to body forth, concerning the one purpose of God, which is complete in Christ. For those rhetoricians, who neither know nor believe this, it may be very well to insist that the similitude shall be told out, in order that we may see whether it be a true similitude or not; but for those who understand the deeper secrets of nature, who are nature's true poets and bards, and have in them somewhat of the holiness of the prophet, inasmuch as they are conversant with the realities and not the mere shadows of things, it will ever be the privilege and the inclination to fall in, more or less, with the method of the Prophets: which is, to pass out of one region of creation into another—the elemental, the vegetable, the animal, the intellectual, the spiritual—by means of that clue of Divine discernment with which the spiritual man is gifted, of whom it is said, that " h e judgeth all things, but he himself is judged by no one." The instances of this secret and sudden transfiguration from the figurative to the real are numerous in this very prophecy; indeed, just as numerous as the number of figures employed, for there is not one instance to the contrary. In Isaiah, viii. 6-8, there is a notable example of the mixed metaphor, at which our critics might find great amusement; where the Assyrian is at once a river overflowing, and a bird with wings. In chap. x. 16-19, he is a forest, a herd of fat cattle, a fruitful field, with soul ! and body, whose destruction is like the fainting of a standard-bearer. In chap. xi. 1, iVlessiah is a branch; in ver. 2 he is a man full of the spirit: and so forth, in almost every instance of a regularly formed figure. But if we refer to mere similitudes, then they are heaped up one upon another from all regions of nature. This is the manner

Our Visit to Britain. of the Prophets, and I take it of uninspired it hath already been sufficiently expressed men also, according as they are endued with by bringing the wolf and the lamb to dwell more and more of the spirit of wisdom and together. It may be said, moreover, that the understanding. No objection, therefore, is figure of general pacification, being once it, to say of the figurative before us that it begun, the rich and exuberant spirit of passeth likewise into the literal; for the prophecy carries it onward, and finishes with wonder would be that it should not. Now, this beautiful climax. I answer, that I find while we maintain the figurative sense, upon no such playful use or unnecessary expense the grounds already set out, we see many of words among the Prophets; whom, the indications of the figurative also; as, when more I study, the more I admire, as gaining it is said, ver. 6, " And a little child shall their end by the most simple, short and exact lead them." This must be understood either methods. But being understood literally as as conferring a literal and plain sense upon it is written, it brings out a most beautiful the wolf, the leopard, the kid, the calf, the and appropriate meaning—that the enmity young lion, and the falling, or the whole between the serpent's seed and the woman's must be taken as an allegorical painting, seed should then be at an end ; that the serwhich we have already rejected. There pent should no longer, as the deodand for would be no propriety in making a child to the horrid crime of which he had been the lead the great and mighty men of the earth; tool, be doomed as the most deadly enemy of but there is a great beauty in a child leading his master, man; but, the redemption being these various beasts in one band of union completed, between the child of woman an " and peace; it shows, not only the departure \ the serpent there should be harmony ; his of their mutual instincts of destructiveness ί subtlety should not betray the child, his and fear one toward another, but likewise j venom should not hurt the child : he should the return of their common subordination to*^ be delivered from the sore badge of his havman ; ffnd presents with all creation yielding > ing been a party to the great calamity of the its neck, not to the wise tamer, or the strong Fall.—Proph. Exp. subduer, or the crafty catcher of the creatures, but to the face and image of upright man,, OUR VISIT TO BRITAIN. stamped upon the weakness, the artlessness, the helplessness of a child.—There seems to In Edinburgh again.—A present to the Editor.—Things as they were in Auld Reekie.—A Biographical Sketch me, again, another indication of the plain of Pastor Erasmus, whom the gospel embarrasses.— and literal sense in the words of the 7th Pietistic sentimentality intensely selfish—Things as they are in Edinburgh in relation to the Kingdom. verse: " And the lion shall eat straw like On my second visit to Edinburgh, which the ox." This could not, without great refinement indeed, suggest itself to one who preceded that of Dundee, a committee prehad only the figurative sense in his mind. viously appointed, engaged the VVesleyan That the lion should not devour the ox, is of Chapel in Richmond-street as the place of easy and natural application from the figure meeting. The interest in the lectures conto the thing set forth by it; but that the lion tinued, and resulted in raising the subscripshould eat straw like the ox, is a refinement tion to Elpis Israel from a dozen copies to a which I think will hardly be found in the hundred and fifty. An incident illustrative Prophets. But, taking it literally, it doth of this will more fully mark it than any thing declare the law of their being to be changed, I can say on the subject. After meeting at which at present is universally, and in all \ South Bridge Hall one afternoon, a gold penconditions, to feed on flesh; not only that cil, and pearl-handled, silver-mounted, gold they will not destroy and devour one another, | pen, were presented to me with the following which is the very instinct of many wild note : animals, and of some appears to be the chief " Beloved brother—Will you please accept end of their being ; but, if flesh be present- of the accompanying pen and pencil from a ed to them, they will not use it for food, but few of your sisters in Edinburgh, and conreject as much as they now reject straw. sider that it is not from a desire to pay you The next verse, "And the sucking child wages for your good services in the cause of shall play on the hole of the asp, and the Christian enlightenment; but as an expresweaned child shall put his hand on the cock sion of our gratitude for the instruction and atrice's den," can, I think, admit of interpre- entertainment we have received from your tation only in the literal eense; for as a fig- excellent lectures ; and as a token of our ure I cannot tell what it means. It means. respect for your disinterested devotion to one may say, that the simplest of mankind Ϊ such a noble work as the unfolding of divine may safely entrust himself with men natu- truth, that we take the liberty of presenting rally of the most deep and malignant char- you with these mementos. We shall hope icter. But this, methinks, would have been nothing else than that their service may aid )etter expressed by taking two animals; and you in the duty which you have marked out

80

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come.

for yourself: that we shall continue to peruse occasional essays of your pen in the elucidation of prophecy; and enjoy a pleasure almost as great as we have heretofore received from your living voice in your emphatic and concise discourses. " Pursue that benevolent enterprize, and know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Your path is watched over, and your progress observed with intense interest by your affectionate sisters in Edinburgh. "Farewell ; and may the blessing of the Most High always accompany you." Edinburgh, Aug. 4, 1849. The wish expressed in the above has been pretty fully responded to; for the original matter of the iirst and second volumes of this periodical, elucidating " the word of the kingdom," has been mainly written by the pen so kindly and graciously presented. 1 only regret to add, that its nib is the worse for wear; and likely soon to fail in iis co-operation with the hand that holds it, and the brain that gives it inspiration, in the great and important work of stating, illustrating, proving, and defending the truth. If my friends in the modern Athens do not enjoy the " pleasure" of a continued perusal of my expositions of the prophetic word through this jewel of a pen, it is not because I do not work it diligently to the Lord. What they listened to with so much interest as it was extemporized before them, is now more digestedly exhibited in those monthly pages. Why then does not this periodical circulate more extensively in Edinburgh ? Is the interest abated ; or is the pei lection of knowledge there attained, that nothing can be added to edification, exhortation, or comfort? A few extracts from letters will throw some light upon things as they were and as they are, with the reason of their diversity. First, then, in regard to the things that were before I left Britain. A highly esteemed friend still of Auld Reekie, writes thus :—" We heard of your presence in Dundee through Dr. Dick, who expressed much regret at not having heard your lectures. We hope you excited as much interest there as elsewhere; and shall be glad to hear through any channel of your *\work of faith, and labor of love." " We remain here in most respects as you left us. The ignorant remain ignorant, the prejudiced remain prejudiced ; nay, hug their prejudices more closely as they areassailed by the voice of truth, unwilling to give them up." " Nothing has surprised me more than the complete ignorance respecting you, your faith, and hope ; your doings and sayings, that is manifested by those unfriendly to you. The vaguest reports have%been received as

solid and substantial truths ; and that without the least attempt at investigation ! Your maligners have certainly much to answer for: you have, however, overcome a vaet amount of prejudice, and will, finally, triumph over all, I have no doubt. Wishing you continued success, and the satisfaction arising from a good conscience, I remain your brother in the gospel hope." This was written in August 1849. Not long after the Auchtermuchty Covenanters* meeting in Oak Hall, made overtures to the South Bridgians for a reunion. The Oak Hallists were Campbellites of the straitest sect of the profession, taking their cue from their American chief, and the exponents of his will in Nottingham and Auchtermnchty. The following extract from a letter written in November following will shed some light on the spirit that moved them. " We are still going on," says the writer, " as we did while you were here. The party that had separated from us have made sirenuous efforts for a reunion ; meetings were held, and questions (supposed to comprehend all that stood in the way) proposed, &c.: but the prhe demanded was no less than to surrender our judgments and consciences into their keeping, and neither receive a Christian brother, nor accept the right hand of fellowship from other churches, but with their consent. How men, not Papists, Prelatists, or Presbyterians, by profession, could make such demands, is a thing 1 cannot account for. Such is your left-hand friend Dowie of Cupar. Bur light and liberty must spread, though they may not produce godliness. Yours very truly, in hope of Christ's appearing and kingdom." Had a reunion been formed, it is probable, that proscription would have become the rule in the South Bridge Hall. Campbell, Wallis, and Dron, would have been ihi Trinity worshipped there ; and of course, h such a temple the kingdom's gospel and its friends could find no place. I hear a rumor, however, that a reunion has ensued ; but cf the truth of it I cannot speak. I hear that it is so, and that things are now "very peaceable in South Bridge." If true, is it that peace*bleness that results from purity of faith and hope, and conduct ; or is it the peaceableness of compromise ratilied over the suppression of those stirring truths, which created so much interest am attention while our living voice was sounding them in their ears ? But it may be al rumor. Being in the dark upon the subjec, the question must remain unanswered by m*. Whatever may obtain there, I trust that tie kingdom's gospel is not forgotten, nor Ve obedience which it requires. After the publication of Elpis Israel I

Our Visit to Britain. made a third visit to Edinburgh, accompanied by my daughter. We were very kindly received and hospitably entertained by Mr. A. M. Bell» of Charlotte Square, Mr. Symonds, and others. This time I addressed the public in the School of Arts Lecture Room, on the things of the kingdom and name of Jesus Clrist. Among the audience was a Baptist preacher who had diligently attended all my lectures, and had also read Elpis Israel Aftei he had heard me through, he called to see n,e at Mr. Bell's. Τ listened patiently to his story for about two hours. His parents were Episcopalians, and his bias consequently, when young, was in favor of that sect. Some of the church evangelical leaders wanted to make him an out and out parish clergyman ; but on conning over the thirty-nine articles he found that he could not conscientiously swear to them. They proposed, then, to train him for a missionary to the heathen, who required no particular oath of qualification to make him orthodox. But a lady acquainted with his case, suggested the expediency of delay ; and generously gave him permission to draw upon her to the amount of 500 dollars, to meet his necessities in books, and board for six months. He concluded at length to enter the Church Missionary College. In process of time he fell sick, which the creed he was studying, and could not digest, considerably increased. His conscience was greatly distressed, and could find no relief till he communicated the burden of it to the Principal of the College, who advised him to leave when his health was restored. This he did, and then began to study medicine with a friend. A little bit of romance turned him from physic to school-teaching in France. He remained there some two years, after which he found himself in England, his wife preparing to keep a ladies' boarding school, and him?elf the pastor of a congregational church. Difficulty or coolness arose between him and his people *, so that by the advice of the Rev. Dr. Siyles he went to Boulogne to see what opening there might be there for a pastor among the English, intending to return in two weeks at the latest. Instead of the doctor keeping his friend's counsel, he told it to one of his own deacons. This man, who was afflicted with cacoeihes loqueiidi, thought if he could get the pastor out he might work himself into the vacant pulpit. He, therefore, told an old gossip, who was a member of the church, that pastor Erasmus had gone to Boulogne, and would never return. Away she went to the pastor's tradespeople to spread the tale. Alarmed for their bills, these " brethren" posted off to Erasmus' wife, told her what they had heard, and pressed an immediate' settlement. They

81

persuaded her to call in an appraiser forthwith, and to divide the spoil with them without delay. Being a woman of no remarkable strength of mind, and knowing nothing of the sinuosities of this naughty world they call " religious," she did the bidding of" the brethren," who would hardly advise her to do the worst, though for their own advantage! The fortnight being ended, and Boulogne offering no inducement to stay, Erasmus returned to England; and on landing, immediately drove off to the home he had left. But, as may be supposed, his amazement was blank and astounding to find the door plate gone, his wife departed, and the house closed against him ! Pulpit, wife, and furniture all gone, and he for the time a ruined man. The wife he found at her father's, but all the rest had gone beyond recovery. The future,'whose very light was darkness, was all before him. Congregationalism was his only stock-in-trade, and for that he'could find no customer. The home market was overstocked with the wares of more successful competitors. But what Independency would not give down to one of its own children, " t h e benevolent Mrs. Fry," and another Quaker, a London banker, voluntarily supplied. " If thee will go to Amiens and preach, we will allow thee £ 7 0 a-year." This was not to be rejected, so to France Erasmus returned for the third time. How long he remained there I forget; but in process of no very long time he was in London again among: the Independents. It was now he ventured to look into the New Testament to see what it said about baptism. " Till now," said he " I always put the question as far from me as possible. I was afraid to read on the subject, apprehensive that I might find myself inconveniently placed. Your remarks I know to be true. The preachers will not investigate, fearing the consequences to which it might lead." H e read, examined, rejected infant sprinkling, and was immersed. He was now a baptist preacher, and soon after his immersion, unit» d to a spouse of that denomination at £C>0 per year, from which her guardians deducted .£10 per annum rent for the parsonage, or manse. This left but a poor pittance for family support. He tried to augment it by laying hold of physic again, which he had long ago thrown to the dogs in a paroxysm of romance. But the dogs began to growl, and show their teeth at him, because he had not been duly attested by the grand council. He found the experiment too hazardous to persist in ; and as he could not make both ends meet without a secular vocation, which was denied him, he determined to remove to Edin-

82

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come,

burgh, and try his fortune there. Having! minds are free from priestcraft. Idontknow arrived in this city he hired a hall for preach- who in Edinburgh are your friends now. ing. It was pretty well attended, and yielded Elpis Israel has repelled some; but has, I enough to pay the rent, and support the fa- hope, attracted others better worth. Mr. Campbell can never succeed in any attempt mily with a little extra effort of their own. Thus were things with him when he at- he may make to neutralize the truths it contended my lectures at the School of Arts. tains. He might deter, or induce many not " Now," said he, " you are in possession of to read it; for the very influence of his name my story in its general outline, but I have has already done so." One of the commitnot told you my belief. 1 believe that im- tee subscribed for four copies. He soid two, mortality is the gift of God to the righteous made a gift of one, and retained the fourth : only ; and that " the immortality of the soul" but when he came to read it, it took all the is a mere heathen speculation. I believe music out of him, and set him on fire, so that that Jesus will return in power and great he endeavored to get them back, that he glory to establish the kingdom and throne of might commit them all to the flames. Such his father David; and silting upon it in Zion, is pietism—unreasoning, sickly sentimentawill rule all nations in righteousness with lity, turned to rage, when the peace of its his saints. I have read Elpis Israel, and morbid conscientiousness is disturbed. believe it sets forth the truth : but here is the A correspondent writing from Edinburgh, extremity to which I am reduced. The sup- well expresses himself, in regard to this picport of myself and family depends on my tistic mentality which displayed itself in the preaching, what is generally approved. Be- case to which he alludes. " Our friend at lieving what I do, I cannot continue to preach ——," says he, " has again started back, as I have done ; and if I preach what I be- horror-struck at even an inquiry into the lieve, my living is gone ! What am I to do ?" matters so interesting to us. How can such Preach the gospel of the kingdom, and walk ever come to a knowledge of the truth ? The by faith, trusting to God for all the rest. But, so-called "evangelical system" is based on as it is the poor to whom it is preached, and the corrupt, innate selfishness of the human who principally embrace it, the living ob- heart. It desires safety, comfort, peace, &c.; tained by the gospel from them is neither but what is for God's honor does not enter delicate nor sumptuous ; but oftentimes quite into the speculations of its adherents. Hence, scant and self-denying. If the people will \ talking to them of the necessity of obedience not hear you in behalf of the truth, turn to to a command, as necessary for them, is eome secular employment and labor in the " throwing a wet blanket" on the fire of their gospel as you have opportunity. " 1 cannot," zeal, and we get half blinded by the smoke said he, was not perceived what I was driving at. gospel certainly has the promise of this life; ) The times were exciting, and my lectures but he is a fool that stops there. Let him c were mainly illustrative of their prophetic remember that " which is to come." The '< character. They attracted thousands, of words " to come" do not apply to that happy * whom hundreds, by their subscription to

84

Herald of the Kinr/dom and Age to Come.

and irrespective of what he would do in future—as the object of faith I " Come unto me all ye who are weary." " Ye will not come unto we." " I will draw all men unto me." "Believe in me." Thus he showed that faith was a personal thing. In order to elicit this faith, it was necessary for sinners to know who Jesus was, and what was his character, his authority and power. Now, this was what the apostles did. " What we have seen, heard and handled, we declare unto you, that ye may have fellowship with us." Philip truly preached the things concerning the " kingdom of God ;" but did he preach ALL the things ? The answer must be, No ! For primitive Christians of some years standing had something more to learn : (so Paul tells the Ephesians, Corinthians, Hebrews, Galatians, &c.) To my apprehension, the things which concern and regulate the conduct of men and women who have been called out of darkness into God's marvellous light—during their probation, &c.—are as much a part of the "things of the kingdom," as those which concern the future destiny of Israel, of Christ or his stints, or of the political and dominant aspect of that kingdom. My idea of " faith" in Jesus Christ is then, such, that my faith cannot be altered in character by any increase in my knowledge of what Jesus will hereafter do. Having chosen him for my " portion forever," my choice remains unaltered, although his riches were proved to be even greater than increased. EDITOR. they are. The knowledge of his future glory ' " t h e things of the kingdom of God and of But, what is the real worth of a pious { the name of Jesus the Christ," are the subassent to a few historical facts concerning i ject matter of the gospel; and that when U/> Jesus, when people substitute their own they were immersed they knew not *the

Our Position Scriptural and Tenable.

89

kingdom, and but little of the name as they ; through a belief of the truth, the unadulought; and believing that it is a love-work- ί terated truth ; men choose him by believing ing faith in the gospel that justifies the sin- i what suits them, and rejecting the rest, ner—they are certainly at fault, and very in- > Such may choose Jesus as their "portion consistent, in delaying their union to the ' forever," but they will assuredly have no name of the Holy Ones by a second immer- portion in his joy. sion. It is the kind of faith a man has that It is a mistake to ray that " Christianity characterizes his immersion. If he have ; is an affair more of the heart than of the such a faith as Paul defines, then one im- > head." Paul was sent to the Gentiles " t o mersion is enough, and ought never to be ; open their blind eyes, to turn them from repeated on any pretence; but if he have a ) darkness to lipht, and from the power of Salame faith, or α a vain faith," rather, an im- \ tan to God." This was an affair of the head, mersion, no matter how oft repeated, is not > without which the heart could nut be touch" the obedience of faith," as preached and I ed. God has ordered his servants to be spaled ministered by Paul. "According to your in (he forehead, which is the sea: of intel'ect. faim be it unto you.*' This is a rule given ! They who are not sealed there do not belong b Jesus. If therefore our faith be a belief ^ to him. Λ pious heart, without due intellio truth made void by human tradition, it is ^ gence, is an unrenewed heart, and always viiii, and we get no good tiling as the result; \ ready to apologize for disobedience and ionoy we believe what is not promised, and can- ' ranee, which Paul says, "alienates from the » ot, will not exist, we shall get nothing, no ! life of God." The heart of ignorance, hovv,; atter how pious we may feel, or on what \ ever pious in feeling, is never right with βυικί terms we may be with our own selves ; J God ; because it is not " turned from darkbut if our faith embrace the unadulterated ] ness to light," and consequently not to him truth—"the things hoped for and unseen," f. in whom is no darkness at all. When the which God hath promised ; justification unto \ forehead is sealed, the heart responds, and life will then " be unto" the immersed who \ the man's faith works by love to the fulfillhave been subjected to an immersion subse- I ing of the truth. quently to their acquisition of such a faith. j From the foregoing letter of my highly They are, indeed, consistent in rejecting · esteemed friend, it appear-. {.t;\t if the Herald reimmersion who, admitting the truth of > is to be popular in Edinburgh, it mu>t as" the things," yet say, it is of no conse- • sume more compromising ground in regard quence whether you believe them or not. • to a sinner's justification. Suppose it did, They have compressed their faith intoa nut- \ would that alter the fact ? if the Herald shell, although in the scriptures the truth is \ accommodated the truth to the ta.-te of its found pervading the whole Bible. With ) editor's personal friends, would that convert them this has no significance; for being ; their belief of sacred history into justify ing minute philosophers, their anxiety is to dis- \ faith ? It might make them more comfortcover how little knowledge is absolutely } able when they happened to read it; it necessary for getting into heaven with the '' would disturb their consciences less; but it skin of their teeth ! But in this they are not \ would not alter the immutable fiat of heaven, wise. The character of a man's faith is \ No, when the Herald's subscription list is altered by the quantity and quality of his \ reduced to such a few that its existence can knowledge. If a man be acquainted only < only be perpetuated by heralding forth a syswith what is past, his knowledge is small in { tern in accordance with'*· the thinking of the quantity and not of the right quality for jus- \ flesh," its editor will lay down his pen, and tih'cation by faith. His faith is of an his- < write no more. Better far break granite on corical character—mere sacred history—and \ the roadside for a crust of bread, than to devoid of doctrine. Such a faith is not garble God's truth to please one's friends, or justifying. If another be acquainted with \ propitiate the foe. The Herald takes its the past, understand the mystery or doctrine \ stand on " t h e wholesome words of the Lord of its incidents, and be familiar with what | Jesus ;" in their letter, spirit and order, that God has promised concerning his kingdom \ " he who believes the gnsf.-et and is baptized, and the age to come, the quantity and quali- { shall be saved; and he that BELIEVES NOT shall ty of his knowledge is altered, and the char- ) be condemned·" Mark xvi. 15, 16. When acter of his faith is relatively changed. It £ the Samaritans and others believed that gosis justifying. The eyes of his understand-1 pel, Luke says. " they believed the things ing are opened, and like Abraham, he can \ concerning the kingdom. name of Jesus the Christ." Believing these may not choose us. Our election turns not J things, he adds, " they were baptised, both upon our choice, but upon his. We may ] men and women." Hence, the words of choose him upon our own principles, while > Jesus, historically defined by Luke, read he rejects us upon his. He chooses us i thus: "He that believes the things of the

8

90

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come.

kingdom of God and of my name as the \ Thrice every day he devoutly turns his face Christ, and is baptized, shall be saved; and ι to the Holy Land, whilst offering up the lie that believes them not*, shall be condemn- \ most sacred of his prayers; and the service ed" This is my position; who is general \ commemorating his deliverance from Egypt enough to turn it? The order is, first, un- ; he concludes with the fervent wish: " t h e derstand the word of the kingdom and \ next celebration at Jerusalem." No wonname ; then, believe it; next, obey it in bap- \ der, therefore, that numbers of Jews cling tism. Who can improve this arrangement ? ί with tenacity to a country the memory of Nay, who has any right to alter it? Or who, \ which, from the cradle to the grave, is but one whose heart is not subdued by the S thoroughly interwoven with their holiest truth, dare dispute against it ? People of \ feelings and yearnings ; that, taking pleathis class would have it thus: first, believe \ sure in her stones, and favoring the dust on Jesus; next, be immersed ; afterwards, i thereof, they bid defiance to all kinds of understand, perhaps, the word of the king- I misery, hardship, and degradation, and do dom. Seek, say they, in effect, righteous- \ not consider that price too high for the purness, or remission of sins, first; and then \ chase of the consolation of drawing therein the kingdom cf God. But Jesus himself re- \ their last breath, if not privileged to inhale verses this dictum, and exhorts us to " seek \ in it their first; and of at last yielding themfirst the kingdom of God;" because no man 5 selves up to the beloved ground, if this could can be the subject of " his righteousness," ) not be given to them. or justification, who has not found the king- ! But whilst in his faithful attachment to dom : the righteousness being for those who \ holy reminiscences,—whilst in his unshakabelieve what he has promised concerning it. ble faith in the promise of God, the Jew heThis is the Herald's "defect" the head and roically resigns his native country with its front of its offending. It is too adherent to powerful associations, security, and comforts, the letter, and therefore spirit, of the Bible, ί and perhaps even affluence, is it just that to suit the vain philosophy of a sceptical \ we, followers of the law,—believers in the and Laodicean generation. But this we 5 prophets, whose light, proceeding from Palconsider as an excellency, which will be ; estine, illumined our tlarkness,—is it just duly appreciated by all who prefer honesty j that we should look on with indifference at of purpose and the simplicity of truth, to the > the struggle of the Jews in Palestine, for double-minded latitudinarianism of the age. j earning a scanty subsistence; that, at the We go for our friends; but also for the truth utmost, we dole'them out a miserable pitbefore them all. EDITOR, ί tance, barely enabling them to linger out an j existence useless to the rest of the world, J and burdensome to themselves ? True, there ASSOCIATION FOR PROMOTING JEWISH I was a time when the intolerant policy of SETTLEMENTS IN PALESTINE. \ Turkey, joined to unwillingness on the part —· j of the Jewish population to become instruADDRESS το THE PUBLIC, BY JEWS. ') mental in their own support, rendered any — · other assistance unavailable, save that in the No country in the universe can prefer ί 8 n a P e o f a l m s · B u t n o v v t h a t s o m e m o r e claims to the consideration of mankind equal enlightened views have removed all legal to those of Palestine. It is a land revered obstacles to endeavors for self-support on alike by Jew and Gentile ; its memory is in- t h e P a r t o f t h e Jewish population, — n a y , dissolubly associated with what is to them w h c n t h e r e i s r e a s o n t o h o P e t h a t t h e P ° r t e dearest and most sacred ; at its name a holy w o M I e n d i t s h e a r t y co-operation to any thrill vibrates through the human heart; it's > scheme for that purpose; when that very very sound strikes a chord which syrnpa- \ population earnestly appeals to the world for thetically re-echoes through the innermost the means of emancipating itself from the state of degradation entailed by pauperism, recesses of the soul. But while Palestine has such high signfi- —is it just that we should withhold from it cancy in the eyes of the Christian, with a helping hand ? Join, therefore, Ο fellow how much greater interest must it be re- citizens, join this Association formed for the gardedby the Jew?" if the force of events \ purpose of lending that helping hand to the have thrown him from that country, towards ] J e w s i n Palestine. To our brethren in faith we should say: it he gravitates as to his natural centre. If torn from his native soil and planted else- Whatever your views, you cannot but rewhere, towards it he yet inclines as to the spect the convictions of those who, anxious sun which gives him radiance and vitality. to fulfil the law of God in all its particulars, feel that this is practicable in the land only * He believes them not, whose faith at his immersion to which that law had a primary reference. is defined by the Bethamian philosophy or popular creed. We should further say: you have no hypo-

Association for Promoting Jewish Settlements in Palestine, thetical case before you, you have to deal with a stern reality. There is a Jewish population extant in Palestine, which for generations has been supported by European charity, and which still looks to the West for assistance. This support was moreover at all times considered as a pious and most meritorious work, habitually and cheerfully bestowed, to which they have almost acquired a right by prescription. Can you allow a system to continue, as degrading and pernicious to the recipient, as unworthy of and useless to the donor; when the alternative offers itself of converting pauperism into productiveness, privation into affluence, and misery into enjoyment ? Can you allow it to be said, that they who associate themselves with every philanthropic movement, who assist in relieving every species of misery, among whatever nation and in whatever clime, should be deaf to appeals in behalf of those nearest to them,—should be insensible to misery of their own flesh and blood ?

91

Secondly, To allow the settlement its internal government. This is a condition which it is not expected would meet with any obstacle, since such is the actual policy of the Porte towards its Rajah subjects, whose respective nationalities and internal institutions it acknowledges. Thirdly, To take such measures in the infancy of the settlement as would secure the lives and properties of the settlers, the necessary scope for development, and eventual self-protection. These objects the Association will endeavor to accomplish by some such methods as the following:— Address to the Sultan, for permission that Jews might occupy and cultivate, or otherwise turn to use, certain tracts of land, and for authority to form settlements, with privileges of internal government. Addresses to the Queen, and Foreign Governments, for favorable interference with the Porte. \ Petitions to the Legislature with the same struments in the accomplishment of the de- view. Subscriptions for supplying Jews in Palesnunciations of our prophets against us : be you in these enlightened days as zealous to tine with cattle, sheep, horses, agricultural obtain the blessings promised to the bene- \ implements, boats for the navigation of the factors of Israel. Remember, it was said, lake of Tiberias and nets for fishing, seeds, " I shall bless them that bless thee, and cuttings of useful trees and shrubs, and curse them that curse thee." Co-operate building materials. with us, assist us, in ameliorating the state Plans and means for improving the ports of our brethren in the Holy Land. on the coast, and the roads in the interior, so Palestine might be still, as of old, ''aland as to give commerce and trade opportunities flowing with milk and honey; a land of for development and increase. wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, In order that such an association should and pomegranates; aland of oil olive and proceed with harmony, energy, prosperity, honey." Nor is it less capable of producing and effect, it would, of course, be most essilk, cotton, indigo, sugar, coffee, and to- sential that its great objects should be worked bacco. In short, all elements for prosperous out with honorable singleness of aim and agricultural settlements are extant. It is effort on the part of all its members. not less the cultivators that call for the land, Friends to this great cause, and to such a than the land for the cultivators. All that is mode of proceeding, are requested to send necessary for the accomplishment of this their names and addresses (post paid) to any object, is capital and security to property. of the gentlemen whose names are subjoinThe former, Europe and America in the first ed, or to the office of the Jewish Chronicle, instance can supply; the latter must be the Houndsditch; and to proceed to obtain, result, at first, of protection, and ultimately 24, in the districts in which they respectively reof a judicious internal government. side, lists of patrons and supporters, and to The cities of Safed and Tiberias, harbor- form auxiliary associations in corresponding a numerous Jewish population, are situ- ence with the Parent Institution. ated in a district in every respect adapted to Dr. A. Benisch, 10, South-street, Finsan agricultural settlement, it may be 6een on bury; W. H. Black, Esq., Rolls House, reference to the subjoined sketch. It is Chancery-lane; Alfred Hall, Esq.,7, Brucetherefore proposed:— terrace, Tottenham; Montague Leverson, First, To solicit from the Porte a grant of Esq., treasurer, 18, Queen-square, Bloomsa portion of land between these cities, now bury ; Rev. John Mills, 12, King-street, totally waete and useless, under conditions Finsbury; Hugh Owen, Esq., Whitehall; mutually advantageous to the government Solomon Sequerra, Esq., Hon. Sec, 9, Buryand the landholders. strect, City.— English Journal.

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come. "THE KINO OF KINGS» Austrian minister, RO long ago as 1849,— THE following is a leading article, under and he would not alter a letter now,—that the above caption, taken from a British if the foreign troops were to abandon hie weekly journal of a recent date, named The capital, he would be at the mercy of the fury Leader. It speaks, no doubt, truthfully in of his own people. And we have the vain regard to the present condition of Europe, proclamations of Radetzky and his subordithe platform of the dominions symbolized by nates, heaping threat upon threat, as a the Ten-horned and Two-horned Beasts of means of frightening the revolution that the Apocalypse. " As to the greatest pow- they cannot extirpate. They cannot comers now triumphing," says the writer, " who mand the actions of the Italian people: the of us can pronounce the future ?" Who of Secret Government of Italy can so far comthem, indeed ! Not one. No mere politician mand it, that even after a popular movement can do more than gues3. All he can do is has been prepared, it can be kept back, with to tell us what has been, and what exists ; the one exception of the rash men in Milan. but as to " what shall be hereafter," he has "There is the same uncertainty in other no data from which to reason out the truth. countries. Neither Turkey nor Russia, nor The problem is too difficult for the thinking Austria, can dictate to the little province of of the flesh, unaided by the light of revela- Montenegro. Turkey sends an army against tion. Hence The Leader, who does not seem it, and dares not let that army conquer. Austo suspect thai it could find its solution there, tria can only forbid Turkey, and dares not gives it up, and in effect confesses, that the seize it herself. Russia offers to take it for wisdom of the world can divine no plausible Turkey, or for the Montenegrins themselves, conjecture of the future of " the powers that but dares not grasp it on her own account. be." But let us hear what he has to say : In Hungary, the people are all on the qui" If there is any one thing certain in the vive, looking out for movements in Italy, and future of Europe, it is Revolution. As to S eager for the news that Louis Napoleon has the greatest powers now triumphing, who of ceased to exist. And in Paris, as we learn us can pronounce their future? What in- by our own correspondent, they are already surance office would grant a policy on the discussing the next revolution, which is said life of the Emperor of Russia? What to be close at hand. " We do not know whether the immense stock-broker of average intelligence and prudence, would give an English price for armies of the despots have not somewhat stock depending on the permanency of the broken from command. They are becoming House of Hapsburg ? Who would even lay too big to be fed according to their appea bet on tiie position, or even the lodging- tites; wherefore they are growing dissatisplace of Louis Napoleon next year? None fied ; for your strong man with a hearty apbut a person who would go to a betting petite likes to be full, and if he is not"full, office. But that there will be some sweep- he is angry. There is many an officer in the ing change; that these things which are armies of Austria and France, who thinks maintained with so much effort, and which that he has been passed over; and, in retalirest upon the flesh and bones of great peo- ation, he is inclined to pass over. Independples, who are incessantly betraying the tor- ently of the possibility that Hungarians could ture they endure, must be displaced; that not be calculated upon to coerce Italy as of the region of despotism, in short, is only the old, and vice versa, there are ambitions in region of a postponed revolution, such is the the heart of those armies, that may turn them against their own Governments. These one thing certain. "The outbreak in Milan was not a riot: are things not to be calculated beforehand ; it was only the irrepressible voice of the but unquestionably the people do not everyRevolution which has lived in Italy for so where regard the armies as their inveterate many years, which the. Austrians know to enemies. They remember the Garde Franexist among them, but whose whole extent chise, who would not fire upon their counthey cannot compass. Like a great phan- trymen. The latest rebellions of France, of tom, at times they see it in parts, but they Italy, in short, of Europe, have sickened the cannot discover it. The revolution, indeed, people with the * rose water' style of action; is the only established power in Italy; for it and we might hazard a supposition, that in is no construction of ours, but a plain his- the next popular effort, the aim will be, not torical fact, that in Absolutist Italy, not one so much to fall indiscriminately upon adverse of the Governments has been able to re- forces—not so much for the populace to establish itself since 1848. They are only waste its own blood upon a Garde Frandefending their possessions by an immense chise that may be arrayed against it, but not military force ; in Rome, by the aid of foreign move against it,—as to call the ringleaders allies, whose troops remain in position. We to account. That is the plan which the Abhave the Pope's formal declaration to the solutists |)4V6 followed themselves, as well

The River of Egypt as the indiscriminate mode of attack; for they use both modes. So eager have they been for ringleaders, that t|iey have picked out the mildest type for the harshest punishments—a Poerio, a Simoncelli, a Blum, or a Tazzoli. But the next lime that the people have power in their hands, they will remember the perjurers who forget the clemency that they abjectly receive, such as the Bourbons, the Bonaparies, and the Hapsburghers. It is not for us to presume the actions of the people when next they rise in power; but that they will rise once again, and at a year not very far removed, we are certain, tinder the protection of immense armies, the Absolutist Kings enjoy the present day ; but they are by their own actions doomed, and they will have their hour. Their victims do but await the rising of the power which shall be greater than the oppressors. The only potentate in certain possession of the future is Revolution; that is the King of Kings." Thus, the future of Europe is all hypothesis ! Yet The Leader thinks that revolution is a certainty, if in that future certainty hath any place. The student of the prophets knows that the future of Europe is more certain than its present; for there is much reported concerning this of a doubtful character; but of the invisible future there is certainty, and no mistake. Revolution is as certain as that the sun shines on a cloudless day. Nothing can stave it off. " The absolutist kings are by their own actions doomed, and they will have their hour." The Leader is quite prophetic. They are doomed, and their " hour" is fast approaching : and Revolution is the King of Kings by whom they shall be judged. But revolution made by whom ? Who are the great actors in it that shall bring them to account? I answer, not the people. The " Sovereign People" is not the King " to execute upon them the judgment written." No effort devised against them by King People can finally prosper. Reaction will repress all their endeavors, and only rivet their chains the faster. Democratic turbulence will only temporarily embarrass the kings; but at the same time force them into a position already marked out for them of God, and necessary to the full manifestation of his purpose. This is the usefulness- of popular outbreaks-^-they are the excitants of a new course of policy, which the governments wouid never have adopted but for the force of circumstances they did not create, and could not control. Thus the present of Europe is all referable to the events of the 24th February, 1848. It ftftitudinized the powers towards one another, as we now behold them. That crisis was the ring-staple from

93

which the chain of subsequent manifestations is suspended. It has brought out the French empire; another similar outbreak might convert that dominion into a dissolving view; and mould Europe and Turkey into the ferro-aluminous feet of Nebuchadnezzar's image; but the emancipation of the nations from the kings, who, as Satan's cabinet, rule them with an iron rod, it could never effect. The people! Sin incarnate. A revolution made by this is The Leader's 14 king of kings !" The people is sin; and the oppressors are sin. Sin, armed to the teeth, destroying sinners, is the present of Europe and Asia. But earth is not to be always cursed by such a present. The invisible future—the " Hades19 of the word—is pregnant with a revolution to be made by " the man at Jehovah's right hand, whom he hath made strong for himself." He being King of kings immortal, will make a triumphant revolution, in which his companions in arms and glory shall " bind sin's kings with chains, and its nobles with fetters of iron:" ·* He doth judge and make war in righteousness," and Arabian tribes. — Beldam's Recollections of boundary of Palestine, there is reason to be-! Italy and the East, vol. 1. pp. 342—345. lieve that from the earliest times, down to I the subversion of the native Egytian dynas- > A GLANCE AT THE PAST. ties, Pelusium'was the frontier town of; Egypt. A few centuries later, it appears I find the following in the "Apostolic Adthat Ptoleiny I., qarried the Egyptian fron- >vocate'' vo for October, 1834: " M r . Isaac tier across the desert, and built Rhinocolura Leeser, reader to the Philadelphia Jewish in the vicinity of El Arish. Very soon,; Synagogue', says in his book, ' The Jews however, we find the frontier again re- and the Mosaic Law,9 pp. 35-G,' The sacred ceding to its own locality, with the addition light of revelation was first lit up in the only of the Mons Cassius, a little to the wilderness of Arabia, and from thence it eastward, which was occupied by a garrison has commenced spreading all over the globe. of Egyptian Jews. And thus the matter In every country some, at least, of the seems to have rested in Roman times. scattered seed of Abraham are to be found; Again, we find from Josephus, that so far I their beautiful code of laws has been parback as the time of Nebuchadnezzar, the !' tially adopted in many places, and millions frontier of Syria, that is of Palestine, was of human beings are drinking the waters of held to extend across the desert to Pelusl· revelation, though they derive it from differum. Though, as Pliny fixes the Arabian ent and polluted channels. Upon the solid or ldumean frontier at Ostracina in his rock of our law have the Notzry (Nazarene) time, it may be presumed that Palestine had among them from the presence of the Lord, the torpid atmosphere before the bursting j pass to Palestine that would come from forth of a raging tempest, employed by the ! thence." No. They are hemmed in within the spirit to illustrate the trumpet interval \ their own borders. There war, and pestibefore the terrible and sudden irruption of lence, and famine, rage in all their horrors. Jehovah s fury against the nations ; which, The saints execute upon them the judgment instead of fearing God and giving glory to written under the direction of their king, nun,t assemble themselves together, to give and in the presence of his messengers, battle against his king.J > Their country becomes " a Lake of Fire Christ s proclamation from Zion, though ) burning with brimstone," which results in general, is also especially addressed to a gov-Mhe destruction of the papal governments ernment, which Dr. Lowth styles, " the ) and system for ever. tend of the winged-symbal;" but the com- \ This being the doctrine of the prophets rnon version more correctly, " the land > and the apostles, and reflected from the sevsnadowing with wings." This is a power of \ enteenth and eighteenth of Isaiah, it is clear widely extended colonial dominion, remarkable ) that sky-kingdom speculators who believe jor its steam marine. " Go, swiftly, ye fleet \ nothing of the kind, must of necessity be messengers !—Convey them in your steam- ) confounded when they encounter such passages as that before us. No skill in herme* Isai. xi. 10, 12 ; xxxi. 4, 5, 8, 9. 1 Rev. xiv. 6, 7. ί Rer. xix. 19 ; xvii. 14 .

* Isai. lx. 9.

The Breaking of the Russo-Assyrian Clay, ac.

103

neutics is of any avail to an immortal-soul J and He shall chase him as the chaff of the sky-kingdom-gospeller; and he that under- { mountains before the wind, and as stubble stands " the word of the kingdom" may-dis- s before the whirlwind. Behold also at evecern the truth though scholastically ignorant ning time sudden destruction; and before of interpretation-laws, as a man may reason dawn he is not. This is the portion of our correctly though unacquainted with the logi- spoilers, and a lot for them who scatter us. cian's rules. The learned foolishness pubHo ! land of widely o'ershadowing wings lished by proficients in hermeneutics is extending from beyond to rivers of Cush; enough to fill all ingenuous minds with con- which sendetii by sea whirling things even tempt at the tools by which they have elabo- upon vessels of fleetness on the surface of rated their prosy disquisitions. Read Moses waters! Go swiftly, ye fleet messengers, to Stuart on Daniel if you desire to behold the a nation carried away and oppressed; to a light of darkness made as darkness itself! people terrible from this and onward ; a naYet this man was ' great," " a father in Is- tion prostrate and trodden down, whose lands rael," a college professor, and a transformer < rivers have spoiled. of youths into guides of the blind ! When All the inhabitants of the world, and we contemplate the universal failure of such dwellers of the earth, at the lifting up of an people in their attempt to explain prophecy, ensign on the mountains, shall tremble, and we are led to inquire if the prophets were at the sounding of a trumpet, shall hear. given to take the worldly-wise in their own For thus said Jehovah to me, " I will be still. craftiness, and to knock out their brains ? (yet in my dwelling place 1 will be without For truly they might as well have none as fear) as dry heat impending lightning, as a use them to so little purpose. The generality cloud of dew in the heat of harvest. For discourage the study of the prophets as debefore harvest as the perfecting of fruit when menting. It may be to those who are dyed in the wool of orthodoxy ; and this may ac- sour grapes are ripening, there shall be a count for such translations as Lowth, Booth- blossom : and He will cut (it) off as vineroyd, and Stuart's, with many others of mi- shoots by pruning-hooks, and luxuriant twigs are lopped away. They shall be left togethnor note. er for the carrion-bird of the mountains, and Hopeless then of light from that quarter, Τ the wild beast of the land; and the bird of have essayed to help myself on the principle prey shall destroy upon it, and every wild that God aids them who help themselves. beast of the land shall ravin upon it. Far inferior to them as a Hebraist, I freely At that time a present shall be diligently admit; but this shall not discourage me brought to Jehovah of armies, a people carfrom invading their province, and trying to ried away and oppressed even of a people perfect that wherein they have failed. David terrible from this (time) and onward; a naslew Goliath with a sling-stone in the name tion prostrate and trodden down, whose land of Israel's God. This was an earnest of rivers have spoiled ; to the dwelling-place of victory to Israel's host, which beholding the THE NAME of Jehovah of armies, Mount stripling's easy conquest of the giant, dis- Zion. missed their faint-heartedness, and contended earnestly against the foe. Encouraged by ANNOTATIONS. this example, I take a pebble from the brook, even this " most obscure of prophecies," and. Hark!—Hui, pronounced Masoretically, by an easy demonstration of its import, level ho. is the interjection with "which Isaiah, the hermeneutists with the dust. May my xvii. 12 and xviii. 1, begin. It signifies Ho ! readers animated by my almost dangerless Hark ! Woe ! Alas ! a word of threatening, passage at arms with the Goliaths, learn to of grief, and of exhortation. In the comfeel valiant for the truth, and to contend mon version it is rendered " woe" in both earnestly for it with a true heart, and full these texts; but Lowth, Rochester and assurance of faith. Let the weak say, " I am Boothroyd, adopt " h o " in the. same. The strong; I have no fear of the face of clay." prophet's exclamation evidently arises from a different cause in each case. In the first, he is like one who catches the sound of some THE EDITOR'S TRANSLATION OF distant uproar, and that he may discern more ISAIAH. perfectly what is to do,, exclaims with a lisFROM CHAPTER XVII. 12, το χνπΐ. 7. tening ear, Hark! What is that? Having Hark! a multitude of many peoples mak- ascertained the nature of the tumult, he turns ing an uproar as the noise of seas. Hark ! to the standers by, and says, " It is.the mula tumult among peoples, roaring asa tumult titude of many peoples making an uproar as of mighty waters; they rage against peo- the noise of seas." There is great sublimity ples like a roar of many waters: but H E in this. The prophet in Jerusalem upwards shalt rebuke him, and he shall flee afar off; of 2500 years ago, being " in the spirit,"

104

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come.

hears the loud-sounding uproar of nations, rejected. We, however, believe it; and rushing from far distant realms to battle in maintain that though Jesus has never enIsrael's land, in the eventide of Gentile times. countered the Assyrian in battle, he is yet to " Hark!" says he, " do you hear that roar of do it. Jesu Christ, who is soon to stand in mighty waters ?" It is the last conflict of Mount Zion in the majesty of the name of the nations ere the dawn of Israel's glory, ί Jehovah, is the rebuker of the uproarious I hear them approach the Holy City. On- (nations, who follow the Assyrian's standard. ward, and nearer still they come! The roar I He is to be the peace when the Assyrian inis terrible. The flood no barrier heeds : our ί vades the land of Israel. The testimony of land is deluged, and the city falls before it. j Micah shows that it is the Assyrian which is But O, the majesty and power of Israel's they suppressed. Jesus, the stone the buildthe tumult of peoples, is all hushed into the i ers refused, shall rebuke the Russo-Assyristilness of a sultry atmosphere impending a j an Head of the Serpent, and he shall flee threatening storm. There is no uproar now } afar off: Jesus shall chase him as stubble, to cause the prophet to exclaim "Hark!" and destroy him suddenly. " At evening time * * * and before the The time of proclamation has arrived, especially to a power whose services are in re- dawn." This interval between the evening quisition at the crisis. I do not therefore and dawn is styled in Daniel, " the time of render hui in the second place by " hark," the end." We are now in the evening time but by " Ho !" as calling to the land.—I have of the day of salvation—the " to-day" of the repeated "hark" after " seas," as emphatic times of the Gentiles. About half an hour instead of wav, which should otherwise be of the period remains ere the Assyrian obtains Jerusalem and is suddenly destroyed. rendered and. "But He shall rebuke him—ugar bo, pro- The evening time before the dawn is the " time of trouble" foretold by Daniel, when nounced xe-gah-ar bo. The common version < reads, "but God shall rebuke them": Dr. proclamation is to a land of wings, not foldbukes, and chases like chaff before the I ed up as a bird at rest; but spread out, or wind." The fate of this Assyrian awaits ί extended widely, and therefore capable of all the powers that oppress Israel. affording protection to peoples inhabiting " Land of widely o'ershadowing wings," countries far distant from the throne of its eretz tziltzal kenahphahyim. These are the power. " A land of wings" is a figurative words rendered by Dr. Lowth " land of the expression, like that of " wings of the God winged cymbal." He says tziltzal is never j of Israel." Isaiah, predicting the invasion used to "signify shadow. This may be < of the Holy Land by the king of Assyria, granted, without admitting that it has no [ says, " The stretching out of his wings shall relation to shadow at all. The Robinson- ί fill the breadth of thy land, Ο Immanuel!" Gesenius Lexicon translates the phrase "/cmd j That is, his dominion shall overshadow it of the whizzing of wings; that is, land of the ;ί from the Mediterranean to the Euphrates, clangor of armies; full of armies (wings) \ This is a beautiful allusion to the eagleclanging their arms, viz., Ethiopia ! ! " This \ winged lions of Nineveh, the capital of the is unadulterated nonsense. Parkhurst is ) Assyrian power. A winged lion is used in more rational. He derives it from the root i Daniel as the symbol of Assyria under its tzahlai, to be overshadowed. By inserting ) Ninevite dynasty. When the sovereignty the letter tzade between the lameds, thus, j was transferred from Nineveh to Babylon, tzahl-tz-al, the verb is intensified, and made \ the prophet represents the wings as being to signify " t o overshadow exceedingly, or ί plucked. Nineveh lost its wings, and could, very much." As a noun, tzllzl is applied to j therefore, overshadow no more. It was the locust, from their sometimes flying in { once a City of Wings, and Assyria a land of such swarms as to obscure the bun, or darken j wings; so that if the prophet had any mesthe air. Though Gesenius does not per-; sage to proclaim to it from afar, he might ceive the meaning of tzllzl in our text, he j have exclaimed, " H o , land of the overrejects Dr. Lowth's " cymbal" for " whizzing > shadowing of wings !" A city or land of or whistling." It is true that cymbals, and ί wings, then, is a city or land having dowhizzing, are found in connection with this \ minion; and*if the wings are wide-spreadfamily of words, as mlzllhim, pronounced \ ing, which is indicated by a widely extended melzailthaim; and tzllzlim, pronounced tzel- \ shadow, the dominion is extensive, perhaps tzelim, because of some resemblance be- very extensive, if an intensive word be used tween the sound of tziltzahl, when spoken to express the idea of shadowing. But all sibilantly and broadly, and the cling clahvg, lands have not wings, because all lands or clangor of the cymbal plates when have not dominion. Canada and the West

106

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come.

Indies, Hungary and Lombardy, have no descendants spread themselves over the north wings. The wings of the mighty over- and west; while Shem's branched off toshadow them all. They have no dominion wards the east, d i s h ' s brother Mitzraim over their own lands, even; hence none settled Egypt; and Canaan, another, a cursed dwell under their shadow. Austria, on the race, the land afterwards possessed by the other hand, is a land of overshadowing of Israelites, descended from Shem. The sons wings. So are Russia, Turkey, France and of Cush descended the Tigris and Euphrates, Britain. Belgium is a lion without wings. and from thence, spread around the waters Its dominion is restricted to its home-land— of the Persian Gulph, to Muscat, and a land which overshadows none but its own thence to Aden, the regions of his sons people. But we need add no more under Sheba and Dedan. They diffused themselves this head; for by this time, the reader will along the southeastern coast of the Red Sea; certainly perceive what is meant by the while some of them crossed it, and extended figurative expression, " land of widely o'er- their settlements to the region of the Upper shadowing wings." Nile. 4; " Extending from beyond ίο"—ashr inaivr Cueh begat Nimrod/' Nimrod founded le, pronounced asher mai-aiver le. ASHER is the first kingdom that existed after the flood. the relative pronoun who, which, that, singu- It commenced with four cities in the land lar and plural, masculine and feminine; and of Shinar, the principal of which was Baagrees with its antecedent kenahphahyim, bel, afterwards styled Babylon. " Out of wings. Hence, literally, wings that from be- that land went forth Asshur, and builded yond to, that is " wings extending from be- Nineveh" on the Tigris or Hiddekel: " the yond to," as I have given it in the text. same," says Moses, " is a great city." The Maivr comes from the root ahvar; without land of Shinar thus became the land of the points ovr, pronounced over; from which Cush ; whose original stock ruled the counoriginates our English word over. Hence, tries afterwards styled Mesopotamia and Cushan-rishathaim was the as a verb, " over with you," that is, pass over Babylonia. or beyond, which ie the import of the root Cushite sovereign who first subjected Israel ahvar. With the prefix m, from, it becomes after the death of Joshua. " The tents of a preposition, as m-ovr, masoretically mai- Cushan" thus extended from beyond Nineveh aiver, and signifies from over or Jrom beyond; to Midian on the Red Sea ; but Cush proper, as pertaining to the kingdom of Nimrod, is and followed by le meaning to. " Extending from beyond to," is a geo- the country between Persia, Arabia, and the graphical phrase. To understand it aright, Holy Land. The rivers of Cush are those enumerated we must remember that it was not penned by one in London, Constantinople, or New by Moses in Gen. ii. 11—the Pishon winding York; but by the prophet in Jerusalem. through the whole land of Havilah, a son of " From beyond" is used in Scripture in refe- Cush; the Gihon through Cush's land more rence to east and west from Jerusalem ; or specially ; the Hiddekel or Tigris, which in reference to the Euphrates alone, if the sfiows before Assyria; and the Euphrates. writer were sojourning on the east of that The Tigris and Euphrates are Cush's rivers, river. The phrase aiver hyyardain, " be- as is clearly seen by his people founding a yond Jordan," signifies the country east of kingdom on their course, with its capital that river: be-aiver hyyom, literally, in be- near the junction of the two. To return then to the text. The dominyond the sea, that is, " in the country beyond the Mediterranean," or west from Judea. ion-wings extend from beyond to the Tigris In the text before us, it is not " from beyond and Euphrates, tit the time that the proclato the Sihor." If it were, we might look for mation is made to the land to which the the wing dominion as extending from, per- wings belong. As I have said, how far from haps, the Atlantic coast of Africa to the Nile. beyond the Euphrates and Tigris the domin" From beyond" leaves the how far beyond ion-wings stretch—whether from the Indus, undefined. It may be one degree beyond the Ganges, Irrawaddy,or Canton rivers—is the " to," or forty. The how far beyond is not indicated in this prophesy. If we supnot important to the understanding of the pose it begins at Ilindostan, east of the rivers of Cush, it will certainly extend " /o" prophecy. "Rivers of Cush," nhri kus\, pronounced the Tigris and Euphrates; lor the words are naharai koosh. Cush is the name of a l-nhri Cush, le-naharai coosh, " to rivers of grandson of Noah in the line of Ham, and Cush." Dr. Lowth makes the land " border the brother of Mitzraim, Phut, and Canaan, j on the rivers of Cush." Rochester renders These all began their migrations from Ara- it, " wings which are beyond the rivers of rat. Cush and his brethren journeyed south- Cush." Boothroyd copies Lowth; while· ward, towards the Persian Gulph, Indian the king's version is," land beyond the river* Ocean, and countries of the Nile. Japheth's j of Ethiopia." Hence, none of them, ifriM

Britain's Steam Marine Foretold by Isaiah. be seen, have paid any regard to the prepositions m, from, and /, to, which are essential to the sense. "Which sendeth by sea," hshlch byym, pronounced hassholaiach byyom. "The wing of the land, or its dominion, being°so wide-spreading from tip to tip, it is obTiged to communicate with its possessions under their shadow, " by sea." This character in the text shows that the overshadowing land is a maritime power. It is neither Austria, Russia, nor Turkey ; because they

107

Uhem there, a pang as of travail." After ] predicting this headlong flight of the Assy> rian's kings, he goes on to say, " by an east J wind thou wilt break in pieces the ships of S Tarshish"—of that Tarshish which, having ' partaken of the general dismay, shall be > among the first to place its ships at the vic\ tor's disposal, to bring Zion's sons from far • to their fatherland. Thus will Britain, and \ the Jews already in Judea, be prepared for } co-operation in the work of the evening ί time.

^ η β Χ ΐ Τ ' ^ ρ ί α ΐ ο ΐ T t h f Ζ , 5 \ BRITAINOTEAMMARINE FOREl U L U States; because their wings do not stretch > **x ^ Α 1 Λ η · from beyond to the Tigris and Euphrates.; "Which sendeth by sea whirling things It can be no other than the British power, > even upon vessels of fleetness on the surface whose wings stretch from Burmah to the I of waters." Tzirim uvkli-gma ol-pni-mim, land of Sheba, and west of the Indus ; and i pronounced tzirim uviklai gome al-penaiwill advance to Cushistan from the Persian , mayim.—This is the original which I have Gulph, as soon as it perceives it necessary'rendered "whirling things even upon vessels for the protection and' promotion of its com- > of fleetness on the surface of waters." mercial interests. The movements of the \ Could any thing be more descriptive of Russo-Assyrian autocrat in regard to Tur- ! steamers as they appear to a spectator when key, will cause Britain to extend the shadow ; gliding over the water ? He sees a vessel of her wings to the rivers of Gush. These j moving with rapidity, and observes somewaters are the borders beyond which her > thing on its sides whirling with remarkable wings will spread no further westward. > velocity. After beholding such a vessel tor Britain on the Euphrates, and the Assyrian \ the first time in motion from a position exteas a cloud to cover Israel's land, will bring \ rior to it, its fleetness and whirling things face to face, in the heart of Asia, the friend [ would be the two characteristics by which and foe of God's oppressed, dispersed, and ] he would describe it to others. I do not captive nation. Policy and interest will i doubt that the prophet understood that in the identify Britain with the Jews, while many ! evening time there would be a great manof its 'people will sympathize with them on \ time power sending swift vessels by sea to religious principles. But the Jews are ane- > its possessions in India, propelled by whirling mies to Jesus -, and the British government, ! things instead of by sails. It is a fact, that while they profess to venerate him, pay no such a power exists, and navigates the warespect to his teaching or commands. Their ters of the Red Sea with fleet vessels withpride must therefore be humbled before eU out sails ; which before his day bore on their ther of them can be employed as allies in I surface the sluggish craft of Solomon and the work of the evening time. Hence, " two- s his Tyrian ally in their voyages to the Indian third parts" of Judah Γη the land are cut off { Tarshish. This fact is foretold in the probythe Assyrian, leaving the other third for s phet's description of the shadowing land, the purposes of the Deliverer: while the ; It is remarkable, exceedingly so; and therepowerful fleet of the overshadowing power, I Tore to attract attention more certainly to it, co-operating in the war against the Russo- ! I have placed this annotation under a disAssyrian, is broken and dispersed. The tes- ί tinct and conspicuous title. Let it be read timony in support of this is found in the for- Ϊ i" connection with what has gone before, and ty-eighth psalm, which contains a prophesy \ with what is yet to come, parallel with this of Isaiah. " As we have { These whirling things on vessels of fleetheard so have we now seen concerning the ness, Dr. Lowth styles "ambassadors on the city of Jehovah of hosts, concerning the \ sea in vessel» of papyrus!" The bishop of city of our Elohim—the Elohim will estab- J Rochester calls them, "messengers by sea j n Ush it throughout tbe age." It refers, then, bulrush-vessels !»' Boothroyd Tias it, " amto the time when Zion exists as " t h e city ot bassadors on the sea in floats of papyrus!" the great King," with the " Elohim mani- And the king's version, " ambassadors by sea of bulrushes !" Sti Strange they did fested in its palaces for protection." But \ in vessels of before this manifestation " the kings were not suspect the propriety of " Perhaps they assembled (against her;) they rushed along as the translation of tzirim. together; but when they saw. they were in did ; for instead of saying Go, ye swift amgreat consternation ; they were confounded ; bassadors, they have it," Go ye swift messenthey fled in terror. Trembling seized upno gers." They saw that two entirely different

108

Herald of the Kingdom and Aye to Come.

words were used in the Hebrew ; but not \ shoes, baskets, vessels of various kinds, knowing wherein the difference lay, they se- \ skiffs, &c.—articles of the water-drinking lected two distinct orthographies, with but \ reed. little real difference of signification between The word in the Piayl conjugation is used them. Ambassadors and messengers are per- poetically of the horse swallowing\ as it were, sons sent. The shadowing land's ambassa- ) the ground, in his eagerness and fleetness ; dors are supposed by the learned to be the as in Job xxxix. 24, igm arlz, masoretically, messengers ordered to go swiftly. \ yegamme-ahretz, " h e swalloweth diligently The word tzirim is a noun masculine plu- \ of the ground," as much as to say, he runs ral from tzir, " to go in a circle, to revolve." \ away with it, so great is his fleetness. It has probably some affinity to the obsolete When a traveller by rail looks at the ground root /z/zr, pronounced tzahnar, to whirr, or \ in advance of the train, as it rushes along, whizz, especially expressive of the rusk- ) he sees the idea represented by the phrase, ing sound of water falling from a wheel in \ " swallowing diligently of the ground.'' By rapid motion. Revolvers, or whirling things, \ the same metaphor, and with equal propriety, tzirim, is the Spirit's word for what we term j a ship may be said to drink up of the water paddle-wheels, which are things going in a j diligently, as for a horse.or train to swallow circle. Tzir is indeed properly rendered \ diligently of the ground. They are both ambassador or messenger in Jer. 49, 14, and ί poetical expressions for a fleet horse, a rapid Obad. 1 ; but still the radical idea is retained \ train, and a fast ship. Hence, as the papyrus of one going in a circle, or making a circuit ξ literally absorbs copiously of moisture, so of the nations. The tzirim of our text, how- \ poetically or figuratively, a fast vessel drinks ever, cannot be things going in a circle in an ξ rapidly of the water, and a fleet horse ambassadorial circuit; for they are tzirim- \ diligently of the ground; therefore, the viklai-gome " on vessels of fleetness," per- • papyrus, the ship, and the horse, are all forming their circuits on their sides. The > subjects of one common idea, and that is translators referred to, did not perceive the \ expressed by the word gma. The phrase application of tzirim to the paddle-wheels of i kli-gma, pronounced kelai-gome, is then vessels ; for, with the exception of Dr. Booth- \ literally translatable, vessels of to drink up royd, there were no such things in the range diligently ; but this very literal rendering is itself metaphorical: diligent drinking up is of their observation or knowledge. " Fleetness," gome.—This is rendered by quick, or rapid drinking; ships rapidly the hermeneutists, il papyrus," " bulrush," drinkinor up of the surface of waters, are and " bulrushes." Moses was exposed on j vessels rapidly diminishing distance : they the margin of Sihor in tavalh gome, an ark, J are fleet vessels, or " vessels of fleetness," or water-tight basket, of bulrush, or papyrus j kelai-gome, but of no matter-like affinity to reed. The word is indeed applied to the \ the bulrushes of the Nile, bulrush, or papyrus reed; but then it is a \ The Bishop of Rochester had some idea question, why it is so applied ? If we can j that there was something figurative conascertain this, we may find that it has a more \ nected with his" bulrush-vessels,*'expressive appropriate signification for Isa. xviii. 2. i of the fleetness of the shadowing lands' The word gimai is both a nounjand a verb, i marine; but as he had never seen a steamThe Masorites, whose points are convenient, > ship, the fleetness of his bulrush-vessels was but without authority, distinguish the noun Ϊ confined to their fast sailing. " I f the from the verb by their punctuation, which ) country spoken to," says he, " be distant expresses their opinion of what the word j from Egypt, vessels of bulrush are only used ought to be in certain places. They call the j as an apt image, on account of their levity, verb gahmah, and the noun gome ; but on j for quick sailing vessels of any material, the Hebrew text they are written both the \ The country, therefore, to which the prophet same, it is the infinitive of Piayl in con- j calls, is characterized as one which, in the struction, in the text before us, placed there \ days of the completion of this prophecy, to give prominence to the idea contained in ) shall be a great maritime and commercial the finite verb. Its punctuation should there-! power, forming remote alliances, making fore be gimai and noisome. It stands as a < distant voyages to all pane of the world, verbal substantive in the construct ca6e. \ with expedition and security, and in the The word signifies " to absorb, to drink { habit of affording protection to their friends up, to swallow." Now, the Egyptian and allies." Thus much the bishop saw papyrus nilotic.a, and the bulrush, especially j even from erroneous premises. He rightly the former, are of a very porous nature,: conjectured from the prophet's reference to absorbing or drinking up moisture copiously, the sea and surface of waters, that he was Hence the papyrus is styled bibulous, bibula i addressing a maritime, and not a continental, papyrus by Lucan, and gma by the Hebrew, power ; and as it is to bring a people to The Egyptians made from it garments,< Mount Zion as a present to the Name-

Editor s Translation of Isaiah xviii. sustained. bearer of Jehovah enthroned there, which no maritime power hath ever done yet, he concluded that the call was to a preeminent naval power of the latter days. Providence hath established Britain's strength to this end. She is exalted among the nations for the work of the time of the end. God hath given her power, skill, gold, and a multitude of large and powerful ships, to be used against the Assyrian, and in the service of Israel and their protectors—Jesus and the Saints. What Hiram was to Solomon, Britain will be to Him who is greater than he. The steam-marine of the latter-day Tyrians trading to Tarshish is the navy prepared of Jehovah for his King. The twelve tribes are his land forces; the ships of Tarshish his marine. " Swiftly." The verb leku is used intensively, as, " to go swiftly, to rush ;" and comports well with the sort of vessels commonly sent " express" by the overshadowing land. " Fleet messengers"—mlakim klim, pronounced malakim kallim. The word malahk signifies " one sent" from lahak, he sent; therefore, a messenger; and in Greek, an angelos, a word transferred into English with the loss of the last syllable. The word is in the plural in the text. "Fleet," kallim, from kahlal, to be swift. The rapidity of the vessels is affirmed of the messengers sent by them. They are to go express, or without unnecessary delay, as the crisis demands energy, promptness, and dispatch. " To a nation carried away and oppressed," el goi memusshahk umorat. Boothroyd renders this, " to a nation extended and fierce." Dr. Lowth has it. " to a nation stretched out in length and smoothed.** The Bishop of Rochester renders it," unto a nation dragged away and plucked." James's translators do better than any of these in the sentence, " t o a nation scattered and peeled ;" but then they were not satisfied with it, but tried to amend it on the margin by " outspread and polished." In Robinson's Gesenius the lexicographer renders goi mmshk umorat)" a people drawn out, or extended, i. e., tall of stature and naked !" They all agree that a drawing out is the radical idea of memusshahk; but what sort of a drawing out it is, they are not agreed. As we have seen, Dr. Lowth explains it of the stretching out of Egypt along the Nile. He assumed that Egypt was ;i the land of the winged-cymbal," exhorted to send the rnessengere; and by making Egypt also the " nation etretched out"—he makes Egypt send the messengers to itself! Lowth, Boothroyd, Rochester, and the King's, drawing out or extension, is horizontal; but Gesenius' is a perpendicular extension, a drawing up instead of a drawing

out!

109

The word is used in several places intensively for taking away, removing, by violence, destroying. " Dragged away" is the sense of the word in the text, as given by Rochester. I have rendercl it, carried away, as more in keeping with the -cripture expression relative to the same nation, " carried away captive" into " their enemies' lands." A smoothed, plucked, or peeled, nation, to say the least of it, is not euphonious. Dr. Lowth styles his dtretched-out nation, *' smoothed" in the sense of being clean shaven or made smooth by mud-sediment! But whether smoothed by mud or lather he cannot tell! If the nation were alluded to under the figure of a bird, tf plucked," would very well express the idea of its being stripped of all its glory and left naked. Without hair, beard, or feathers, the nation would doubtless have become as "polished5* as shaving and plucking could make it! The King's translators do not tell us in what other sense it was " polished," but leave us to our own inferences. I do not see in what sense a nation skinned or peeled can be " polished." It would certainly not improve its manners. But we must turn from these awkward words, so expressive of the uncertainty of the hermeneutists, and find one more in harmony with the text. Moral is participle of Pual from mrt, pronounced mahral, to polish, to sharpen, and to make smooth. It is used in the sense of making the head smooth, or bald, by tearing out the hair in chastisement; or to cause a peeling of the shoulder by bearing heavy burdens. The oppressing of the shoulder results in the peeling off of the skin. Hence a peeled shoulder, and a smoothed and polished head, becomes an oppressed shoulder, and a plucked head. A nation peeled and smoothed, plucked and polished, or moral· ized, is a torn and oppressed people. The effect of an action is put for the cause of it, so that the figurative sense of moral is really the most literal in regard to the text in hand. I have therefore rendered it by " oppressed," which accords exactly with the condition of the nation to which the messengers are sent. " Terrible from this and onward," al-om nora mn-hua uhlah, pronounced el-am norah min-hu wahhahleah. " Terrible from their beginning hitherto;" " terrible from the first and hitherto;" il wonderful from their beginning hitherto"—are the renderings of the eeveral translations before us. These versions affirm the terribleness or wonderfulness of the nation during the whole of its existence. This, however, cannot be predicated of Israel. These tribes were indeed terrible and wonderful in their national beginning, but very far from being so from

110

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come.

that epoch " hitherto ;" that is, till the ex- > Καν is a noun, and signifies a measuring press messengers visit them in Britain's j line. The repetition of the word thus, kav steamers. Ten of the tribes have failed to j kahv, is intensive, and imports a continued strike terror into their enemies for upwards stretching of the measuring line over any of twenty-five hundred years ; and the other thing. '< Jehovah hath purposed to destroy the two have been a despised people fourhun- wall of the daughter of Zion : he hath stretchdred and thirty years after their Chaldean ) edout a line, ho hath not withdrawn his hand overthrow and nearly eighteen hundred j from destroying." Thus, to stretch out a years since Rome's eagles devoured their i line upon a wall indicates its overthrow, that carcase under Titus. Lowth and company's ί the measuring line may be extended over the version cannot, therefore, be admitted, see- > levelled site. If the line be employed with ing it does not state the truth. reference to a nation, it imports the levelling Gesenius renders the text, " a people ter- i of that nation, that it may be trampled unde*r rible and farther off than he." in this he j foot. A nation intensely lined is one long renders " wahhahleah," and farther off, or ) prostrate, the idea of prostration being necesbeyond, as of space; and min-hu, by " than ) sary to a being trodden under foot. Jeruhe." But in this he entirely mistakes the I salem, said the King of Israel, shall be trodwhole matter. The construction is well-il- den under foot of the nations until their lustrated by the phrase-?7i/uom hhua uhlah, j times be fulfilled. She was first levelled; pronounced, maihyyom hahu wahhahleah, ! she was then kav-kahved, or lined intensely ; " from that day forward." The radical idea s and so long as that line is stretched out, she of hahleahia " to a distance, thither-n,wa.y" s remains prostrate and trodden down. The and may be applied to either time or space. > fortunes of Israel and their city are the But from what point of time doth the to or > same. Facts in relation to both e^ablish thither, the onward, commence ? The an- \ the translation Τ have i/ivpn. swer is min-hu—"min" being the preposi- { " Whose Und rivers have spoiled." tion from; and " h u , " the demonstrative j Rivers overflowing their banks represent inthis. " Hu 1 ' points out a definite person or > xading armies. Speaking of the ten tribes in thing already mentioned, or well-known from s hostility against Jerusalem and the house of the context. We may then inquire " from > David, Isaiah saith, "Forasmuch as this peothis" what ? From the evening-tide de- \ pie refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go struction of Israel's Assyrian spoiler by their \ softly, and rejoice in Retzin and Remaliah's King; when under his banner "Judah fights ! son ; now therefore, behold, Jehovah bringat Jerusalem," and " their governors become i eth up upon them the waters of the river like a hearth of fire among the wood, and I (Euphrates) strong and many, even the King like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall \ of Assyria and all his glory; and he shall devour all the people round about on the ] come up over all his channels, and go over right hand and on the left.'?* From this on- ', all his banks : and he shall pass through Juward, shall Israel be a terror to all their s dah ; he shall overflow and go over, he shall foes; and a protection to all who come under ] reach even to th% neck," Jerusalem alone of the shadow of His wings, who gives them \ all the land being the head out of the water, exaltation over all the nations of the world. £ Israel's land has been laid waste by such " A nation prostrate and trodden down," ' rivers as these. Daniel predicted a similar goi kav-kahv umvusahh. The renderings of ^inundation which was to overflow the land these words are also various. " A nation j subsequently to the destruction of the city meted out and trodden down ;" " a nation { and temple of Jerusalem that was to happen that meteth out and treadeth down ;" " a na-! after the cutting off of the Messiah the tion of line, line, and treading under foot;" ! prince, and at the Roman invasion : " the " a nation meted out by line, and trodden ! end thereof shall be with a flood" which he down;" " a nation expecting, expecting, explains of the inundation of war; for he trampled under feet;" " a nation that useth says, " and until the end of the war desolathe line, and treadeth down ;" and " a nation tions are decreed." He also styles the fumost mighty." Surely here are diversities ture invasion of the Holy Land by the Russoenough to make darkness visible! What a i Assyrian king of the north an overflowing. nation this is made to be! Dr. Robinson of) There is nothing nourishing in the overflowNew York, the editor of Gesenius, and Pro- i ing of such rivers ; but Dr. Lowth V learned fessor of Biblical Literature, endorses the > friend" suggested " nourish" as the meaning idea of its superlative mightiness, while i of bahzeu% which, as it suited his theory of others of equal authority pronounce it to be \ the land being Egypt or Ethiopia which are the weakest of all nations, as meted out and > fertilized by the Nile, he readily adopted, rentrampled underfoot! Who can but laugh, j dering the sentence " whose land the rivers and hold such hermeneutics in derision? ^ have nourished." Gesenius translates the ( * Zech. xii. 5j 6 ; xiv. 14. words asher bahzeu nehahrim arclzu, by

Messiah in the City of David. u

whose land rivers rend, i. e.. break up into parts, or divide up. T h e allusion is to Ethiopia." This is an error; there is no such allusion in the case. The land is Israel's, not Ethiopia ; rent, spoiled, or laid waste by the horns of the Gentiles, whose armies have swept over it like floods of mighty streams. " I will be still (yet in my dwelling-place 1 will be without fear)." In the common version it reads " I will take my rest, and I will consider in my dwelling-place," or marginally, " regard my set dwelling." The text places the considering person in the dwelling, and at rest there; the margin, makes him exterior to it, and looking at it. A very important difference this, when we come to understand the locality of the dwelling-place. " I will sit still and regard my own abode; / will be to it as the clear heat after rain." This is Dr. Boothroyd's rendering of the words, ashkuth uabith bmkuni kkhm Izk oliaur, pronounced eshkahtah veavbitah vimkoni kekhom izach alai-or. " I will be to it" are his own words to make what he supposes is the sense. All the translations I have seen make the considerant sitting, not in, but off at a distance, from the dwelling-place ; consequently, " the dry heat impending lightning" is made a state of things preceding Jehovah's entrance into his dwelling-place, instead of, as it really is, a state of the political atmosphere immediately following his entrance, and, for a short time, continuous with his residence there. The atmospheric condition portends a storm about to burst upon " t h e blossom" and " vine of the earth," not upon the Lord's dwelling-place, as Dr. Boothroyd represents. " I will be still as dry*Uieat impending lightning·, as a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.' This is the quiescence of Jehovah's Name-bearer, after beating down the Assyrian at eventide, by which he obtains forcible possession of Jerusalem. It is absolute quietude, or cessation from all hostilities, an armistice, as it were, obtaining from the descent to the Mount of Olives, and the commencement of the war between the King of Israel and the papal powers of the Roman West. The words " yet in my dwelling place I will be without fear," are parenthetic and descriptive of the great King's perfect security and fearlessness, in the midst of fierce and warlike nations, among whom he has introduced himself" as a thief," with the intention of spoiling their governments of all their glory, honor, dominion, and wealth. As if he bad said, " Though I forbear immediately to follow up the victory I have gained in delivering Jerusalem from the Russo-Assyrian Gog, the enemy will be too confounded to rally his forces and lay siege

Ill

to the city, for its recovery out of my hand. I shall be in it, and hold it without any ground of fear from a threatened renewal of the siege." The "dwelling-place" of the fourth verse, is declared in the seventh verse to be " M O U N T ZION, the

dwelling-place of

the

Name of Jehovah of armies." This mount on which " the city where David dwelt" formerly stood, was selected by Jehovah himself, as the place of residence for his Name in all the Age to Come, termed " for ever." The few testimonies following will prove this. '· The city of David, which is Zion." Zion, then is not in Sky-Kingdomia, but in Palestine. " Jehovah loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob." " When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory." All people pretending to sanity admit that the Lord has not yet appeared in his glory since this prophecy was written. It is manifest, therefore, that Zion is in an unbuilded condition, that is, in ruins : and seeing that there are no ruins in SkyKingdomia, it follows again that the Zion in which the Lord delights, is not there. " The Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest for ever; HERE will I dwell; for I have desired it. There will I make the horn (power) of David to bud." " Zion shall be redeemed (from the power of the enemy) with judgment:" " and the redeemed shall come to Zion"—come, not go, to Zion. " Our heart is faint, and our eyes dim, because of the mountain of Zion which is desolate." " The Lord shall yet comfort Zion." " I set my King on Zion my holy hill," " the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where / icill dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever." " Then the moon shall be confounded and the sun ashamed, when Jehovah of armies shall reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously." In view of these testimonies, how forcible and appropriate the exhortation to Israel, " Ο house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord ! " Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, at Zion, " still as dry heat impending lightning, as a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest," is represented in the Apocalypse as " one like the Son of Man sitting upon a white cloud, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle"* or pruninghook. In this cloud-scene he has but one crown. It pertains therefore to a time anterior to that in which, in chapter nineteen, he is seen " with many crowns upon his head." The one crown is David's, which he wears by inheritance ; the " many," are those * Rev. xiv. 14.

112

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come.

he wins from the Beast and kings of the earth whom he overcomes in battle, when he "gathers the clusters of the vine of the earth," and casts its grapes, fully ripe, " into the great wine-press of the wrath of God." Jesus, the Redeemer, comes to Zion ; at that crisis. " reaps the earth," in the overthrow of Gog:then, as a dew-cloud, he rests in Zion, awaiting the full ripening of the vine clusters in the Roman West. This " perfecting of the fruit" is accomplished when the acceptance, or rejection, of the trumpet-proclamation to the land of overshadowing of wings, and to other lands, has divided them into adverse and friendly nations. As hostile, they are " the Goats;" as friendly, they are " the Sheep" of the imperial Fold. This division effected, and the Royal Reaper, no longer still as dry heat and a cloud of dew, thrusts in his pruning-hook again, and having reaped the grape-clusters, treads them in the wine-press without the city, that is, beyond the limits of the land. " Before harvest there shall be a blossom," liphnai kahlzir yihyeh nilzzah. This blossom is Gog, who aims at establishing a permanent dominion over the east and west. He obtains preadventual possession of Jerusalem, but is unable to retain it in subjection. His ambition blossoms forth with great promise, but he proves eventually unable to bring his schemes of conquest and dominion to perfection. Though laden with thick clay, his blossom will not become even a sour grape; for scarcely doth he appear as a flower in Jehovah's vineyard, but he is cut off, and blown away like chaff before the wind. The ten-horn or toe-kingdoms are not BO. They continue to flourish on the earth's vine, first as blossoms, then as sour grapes, and lastly, as grapes fully ripe, and fit for the wine-press without the city. They are trodden at vintage-time ; but the preeminent blossom is cut off" before harvest" " as vineshoots by pruning-hooks, and luxuriant twigs are lopped away." " At that time."—At evening time, and subsequently to the King of Israel's victory over Gog, and over " the Beast, False Prophet, and Kings of the earth, and their armies." The nations in arms being subdued under Israel,* their hosts will no longer need to be detained in foreign parts. The time will have therefore come to give them rest from war; and to transport their victorious armies into their native land, that they may be disbanded there, and " settled after their old estates."! The steamships of the land of overshadowing of wings will be in great request for this service"", which will be willingly and joyfully rendered; Hence, Is• Pa. xlvii. 3.

f Ezek. xxxvi. 11.

rael's eventide return to their fatherland, by this agency, is termed the diligent conveyance of " a present to Jehovah of armies." Those of the scattered nation that are inaccessible to ships, will be brought home by the usual means of transportation by land. This present brought by sea and land to Mount Zion is termed by the prophet " an offering unto Jehovah out of all nations." His words are, " They shall bring all your brethren, an offering unto Jehovah out of all nations upon horses, and chariots, and litter vehicles, and upon mules, and dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, as the children of Israel bring the offering in a clean vessel to the house of Jehovah."* This " present" is not brought before the return of Jesus, the bearer of Jehovah's name, from the right hand of power. It cannot be brought until he becomes " Jehovah of armies," and is enthroned in Zion; for it is brought by strong nations as an offering to him dwelling in Zion. Were all Israel now sent back to Palestine by existing powers, their restoration would be no offered present to the Jehovah-name, because Zion is not yet the actual abode of Jehovah-Jesus. The " present" will be freely offered, because the offerers will have come to the recognition of the true nature of things. Jesus, whose prophetic name is " JEHOVAH our righteousness "f will have convinced them of his power, and right to the world's allegiance, by his skill and prowess in arms. The south will no longer keep back, nor the north refuse to give up; for the Dragon, and the Beast, the False Prophet, and the Kings, with all the armies that now give effect to their wickedness, will have been destroyed; and all obstacles to the full return of Israel from the four winds of heaven, completely removed. " They shall bring my sons from far, saith God, and my daughters from the ends of the earth ; every one that is called by my name: for I have created Israel for my glory."J But before the free-will offering of this present of Israel to their King by the nations no longer hostile, and before Zion is delivered of the man-child, Palestine will be occupied by a Jewish population, respectable for numbers, industry, and wealth. This is evident from the following testimony : " In the latter years, Ο Gog, thou shalt come into the land brought back from the sword and gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which were (asher-hahyu) for desolation continually : but is brought forth out of the nations, and they dwell safely all of them." " Thou shalt come up against my people of Israel as a cloud to cover the land; • Isai. lxvi. 20. f Jer. xxjii, β.

Idai. xliii. 1,6,7.

The Russo-Assyrian "Blossom" Lopped off.

113

it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the nations may know me, when I shall be glorified in thee, Ο Gog, before their eyes." This proves a partial return before Gog's invasion. The following text shows their prosperity in their land before he disturbs their peace. Jehovah addressing himself to Gog says, " Thou shalt think an evil thought; and shall say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; 1 will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, to take a spoil and to take a prey ; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places now inhabited, and upon the people gathered out of the nations, who have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land." He accordingly invades Palestine with a mighty army ; and that this invasion.precedes the appearing of Jesus in Zion is clear from the consideration, that the invasion of God's unoffending people is made the occasion of that appearing : as it is written, " And it shall be at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord God, that my fury shall come up in my face * * * and there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel * * * and all the men flat are upon the face of the land, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be hurled over, and the towers shall fall * * * and I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains ; and I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many peoples that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus will I magnify myself and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I Jehovah* am Jesus, bearing the name. '· And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee. Thou shalt fall on the mountains of Israel, and upon the open field : and I will give thee to the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured 1 '— " a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that they may eat flesh and drink blood." Thus falls the blossom from the vine. Sudden destruction at evening-tide descends in storm and tempest, and sweeps him as mountain-chaff or stubble before the blast. Thus Zion is redeemed with judgment. Prostrate under the heel of the Autocrat; and none of all her children to draw a sword for her deliverance ; her voice is stifled by the throatgrip of the destroyer. She hath no strength to give birth to a deliverer; and nought

seems to impend but the final extinction of all her hopes ! But what doth the prophet hear at this crisis of her fate ? " A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of Jehovah that rendereth recompense to his enemies ! " "Jehovah roaring out of Zion, and uttering his voice from Jerusalem. And the heavens and the earth shall shake; but he will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I Jehovah your God am dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain : then shall Jerusalem be holy; and there shall no strangers pass through her any more."* Thus, " before Zion travailed she brought forth; before her pain came, she produced a male," even a man of renown. Much more might be added upon the things brought out in this article, but we must forbear for the present. If the reader will make himself acquainted with what has been exhibited, it will help him considerably to the understanding of a class of prophecies pertaining to the epoch of the Kingdom's establishment whose import does not appear as yet to those even who are supposed to be considerably advanced in prophetic lore. New-translationists and hermeneutists will of course be grateful to us for the labor we have bestowed upon their particular branches; so that we may reasonably expect that when they favor the public with their forthcoming " improved version" our translation of this remarkable and interesting prophesy will figure upon the pages of their edition ! Be this as it may, I have the satisfaction of knowing that 1 have given an intelligible and scriptural exposition of a prophesy which has confessedly completely foiled the wisest, best, and learnedestof their scribes. This may be coriiidered *4 ostentatiousness" by those who have too little assurance of faith to speak with certainty upon anything. Never mind. Paul gloried in his weakness ; and so do we. If one so weak as our stupid self can make " the mo\.t difficult passage of Isaiah" so intelligible and plain, how blind must they be, who with all their classical, theological, hermeneutic. erudition, and '· logic," can f>ive no better sense to this portion of the word than the translators so often named in this ! So true is it, that " God hath chosen the foolish things of the 'world to confound the wise." This is his wisdom ; and " wisdom is justified of all herchildren," when the wisdom of the world's wise ones, shall be shown to all nations to have been nothing more than "vanity and vexation of spirit." EDITOR.

• Kzek. xxxviii.

• Joel iii. 16.

114

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come.

THE MOSLEM EMPIRE ^ were, therefore, his messengers, or " an™ -ρ, , . , ' 4, . ) gels "—άγγελοι—apocalyptically; whom he THE Euphrates is the name of the nyer ^ h Greco-Roman empire to exindicated as the eastern boundary of the > . .» • • ? T, |)ir(J f . and promised to Abraham and ftlS seed,, e., ^ „g u ) t a n i e s f h u f w h o s e H to the Christ and a I, individually and na .on- , f / j n t o d t i m e w e r e l i m i t e d to the ally, consutnhonally '-one in him» It w J b fc ^ Euphrates. This is extermed by eminence -The Rtver" being the j ^P,, h e , s e db ώ four mostcunsp,cuous,polmcally of allthe Bi- n n e d b >h * ft ri'ver E h r a t J > B ble rivers, not excepting the Jordan. It was was the • western confine - of - the • -• emMoslem the eastern boundary of the Roman Empire, pire, whose capital was at Bagdad, where 7and' for 7 a W m y crossed the Euphrates, which can neither see, nor hear nor walk." ; d . £ d , R J ; /hi J This is the lansuam of Scripture as de- t h ec o n i m e i i c e m e n t o f t | i e sounding of the •crip ive of the Catholic adoramn of saints { j h , b, o r f h g w and images wes of the Euphrates 1 he > a ; ;* . d . h , ( fa

ft

^ ϊ ^

t T e ^ e sword ο Τ ο ο ^ ' ύ , ΐ ΐ , ϊ , ^ ^ ] ^ . °f ConA-Unopie. May Μ, Η53 : and

the eastern Roman empire. The Saracens t h e ' r ^«ration con.sequen ly as expiring «tormented» its citizens; while the Turks ™ th . ΐ1ΐ(? rec?very ° f l w t C ' t y °U, ° f l ^ e ' r h a n d n ll0 r ay> a 0 1 1 r extinguished their independence abolish,f " · a I dUpon ,™ ' · f. n d . a I , 4,6. · ο ·and . ι \ year ^ afterwards. this "hypothesis, t P ed their sovereign y, or, in Scripture sty e, \ c o n s t a n t i n , e , l t t 0 h ave fallen on June " slew the third parI of men B e y o n d t h e o o l Q / f 1 η * * VA f *\ c ,i 2 9 l84 4 B u t limits of this third part they were never able ' , · ',' , d l d η ο ί : t l e , r e f " r e l h e c a n o t h v e permanently to establish their dominion. Ι™Ρ""">» " * u i ^ e " e d t 0 Tt h e ' 5 ' b e t W e e They made inroads upon their Popish neigh- ί ^ " M , t y ?AB> 4 " Μ < 1 *Τι. ' bors"even to the ga?es of Vienna, and in- 8 , 4 4 ' consequently the loosing must have Dieted upon them terrible vengeance; but, belonged to a former epoch. It is remarkable, saith theScripture/'They repfnted not off however, hat Moslem rel.giousdespo.ism was their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of f e n ' t l r o " e d l n Constantinople May 29, 1453, their fornication, nor of'their thefts." The a " d ' " ^ l y»™ and 30 days after, or June Papists still con inued IO murder the saints, f,9' " 4 4 , re igious liberty was restored slaying, with indiscriminate massacre, men l h e . r e A a t l h e 1 I ^ t h a n c e of LnglRnd, ftance, andy women,and .heir unoffending offspring. !a n dR u s s l a · , T h » s was a shadow of cornThe incantaiions, adultery, an.] thievery of \ '"? events; but not the loosing of the the priests were unmitigated. The jndir- > ex' . . . ., l mentof God made no salutary impression \th°fn fe\enc? ° t ! ! e ™S™1>1 P e r C f e i v e t h a t l h e 0 S i n and )1 t h e upon them, so that what they were at the J? ^ , "' , prfpHration, f fall of Constantinople they continue at this >w a sf o r f 1 y e a r s a » d 3 0 ^ y s . The words a r e day. « They repented not of their works." ί ^ ^ « v hooran, &c—that is, "the four prepared more, spiritual to believe in only one God, ] angels were loosed for an hour," &c. The than to adore thousands of dead men and > preparation of the "angels' 5 preceded their women, and to receive with implicit faith ', loosing; and consisted in the organization the absurd fables of the Romish priesthood. \ of the Moslem empire under Togrul Beg. the Turks were ignorant and barbarous; > Six years afterwards the loosing was debut the Catholics were ignorant and exces- > creed by a successor, Alp Arslan, the resively vicious : hence God appointed the bar- > _ — _ barous to chastise the criminal. The Turks ! • Revelation, ix., 14.

The Moslem Empire.

115

nowned. The binding of the Turks or S banks is the result of the outpouring of the Moslems being the restriction of their em- \ sixth vial. pire to the Euphrates ; the loosing of them Ϊ The second woe-trumpet period ended with for a period consisted in their advancing i the ascription of " glory to the God of heatheir dominion westward until the time in- ) ven," by the French nation, which abolished dicated should expire, when they would be ί the Catholic superstition, Nov. 10, 1793 ; confined, bound, or restricted, to a new wes- } proclaimed justice and integrity the order tern frontier. They may, therefore, be said ; of the day, March 22, 1794 ; acknowledged to be bound at this time by the Danube and the existence of the Supreme Being, May 7 ; the Save, beyond which their dominion does and celebrated a festival to his honor and not extend ; but not by the Euphrates, be- glory, June 8th, of the same year: so that the conquest of the Eastern empire by the cause it stretches beyond. The period of their advance into the Ro- j monotheist Moslems, and their wars upon man empire was "for an hour, a day, a ^1 " the Holy Roman Empire " of the West, tomonth, and a time." At the end of this the gether with the terrible, but righteous, severextinction of the third part of that domin- ity of the Robespierrians upon the king, noion would be effected. This implied the bles, and priests of France, the murderers capture of Constantinople, because until of God's saints by thousands, were judgthat was accomplished the third part was ments upon the paganized Catholics, of the not slain ; for that city is the throne of the Beast and Dragon territories, that extorted third part. I see no reason to question the glory to the God of heaven in the very temaccuracy of the conclusion arrived at re- ples of the guardian demons themselves. specting the above symbol being equal to The churches, dedicated to dead men's 391 years and 30 days. An ενιαυτοΰ is that ghosts, were converted into Mosques, and a which returns upon itself; g religion would disappear from the earth." and to India."—The Leader. \ If he had said all superstition instead of \ " all religion" we could have heartily assentj ed to the proposition ; for the " religion" of FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD'S EELIGION. § the world begins and ends in that absurd T H E editor of the Richmond Times dis- 1 a A n d r i d i c » l o u s d o g m a °[ P a f » philosophy. courses to his readers, concerning a certain \ A s t 0 ltf. b e i n £ »" elevating belief we by no English historian in the following t e r m s : - m e f n s discern the proof of it in the conduct and conversation of those who profess it. It is generally believed that the cele- Pagans, Mahommedans, Papists and Probrated David Hume, not only disbelieved the testants all believe it; but it fails to elevate truth of Christian Revelation, but likewise j [hem" above " - t h e ' ' wisdom'from" b e n e a t h the existence of the soul after death, or of which is earthly, sensual, and devilish," as any living and intelligent principle indepen- the apostle saith. dent of the body. There are many portions EDITOR. of his writings this opinion ; g which justify jy p but yet the following beautiful extract from \ WHY ISEAELITES WEKE FOBBIDDEN TO - the conclusion of one of his E s s a y s , would \ SHAVE. lead us to believe that however blind he « F r o m t h e s i n g u l a r a c c o u n t Herodotus might have been to the divine claims of the j g i v e s o f t h e w o r * h i a n d c o s t u m e o f t h e bible, he was not without the elevating b e - ^ r a b i a n s o f J e ζ it s e e m s t h m u s t hef in the immortality of the soul, without \ h a v e b e e n a n i s o l a \ e d r e mnantof the Emim.* which all religion would disappear from the \ T h e y w o r s h i p p e d Dionysus (Osiris) under eart ">: . . > the name of Orotal, and Urania (Astarte «Art copies only the outside of nature, u n d e r the name of Alilat; and " c u t away 1

ll

eir

]r

a11 r o u n d

shavin

il

"?* which ίίί J f i ^are i l ^so^ lastonishing ^ K i ! " in ;™1" ? ¥ ' S °ff the temnificence the I plea ; " assigning as a reason for this prac masterly works of her original. Can we tice, that their god was so shaved. then be so blind as not to discover an intelNow it is a peculiarity of national cosligence and a design in the exquisite and j t u m ~ ' w l ^ most stupendous contrivance of the uni- \ t i o r i ) characteristic of all those monumental verse ? Can we then be so stupid as not to \ le w h o m { h a v e b e e n a b l e t o t r a c e t o feel the warmest raptures of worship and ι t h e R e p h a i m b y m e a n s o f t h e i r cities and adoration upon the contemplation of that j n a m e s _ _ t h a t they all shave some part of the intelligent Being, so infinitely good and ; L e a d o r b e a r d j o r b o t h a n d t h h e a c h wise? The most perfect happiness surely ; t r i b e d o e s l h i s a f t e r a f a s h i o n o f j t s o w n > must arise from the contemplation of the ; y e t i n o n e particular, they all agree; they most perfect object. Bnt what more perfect { aU s h a v e the t e m p i e s ana side of the heard. than beauty and virtue ? And where is j T h e i r A r a m e a n a n d Horite-Edomite depenbeauty to be found equal to that of the uni- ; d a n t S ) a n d t h e i r A m o r i t e neighbors, on the verse, or virtue which can be compared to J c o n t a l r w i t n t h e i r b e a r d the veneration and justice of the Deity ? If e n t i r e a n d t h e i r h a i r i o n g a n d c a r e f u n y aught can diminish the pleasures of this \ j ; r i m r n e d contemplation, it must be either the narrow-j further I e a r n f r o m t h e E g y p t i a n W e ness of our faculties, which conceals from \ s c u i p t U r e s , that the particular practice of us the greatest part of those beauties and j « c u t t i n g a w a y t h e h a i r a n r o u n d a n d s h a v . perfections, or the shortness of our lives. ; which allows not time sufficient to instruct J * "The Emim—"the terrible people ! " Such is the us in them. But it is our comfort that if we name by which the descendants of Lot designated the employ worthily the faculties here assigned powerful, hospitable, and brave, but Efear" oniipraved us/thev will be enlarged in another state of \ «ation, ώ wiiose hind their father had Taken up his J te . , ·. ,, s abcxle. Bet they called themselves ''the children of existence, SO as to render US more suitable s S )ielh,"or, according to the Hebrew form that desigWOrshippers of our Maker ; and that the \ nates their land, Shitiim ; and from the perfect correstocL· t»h;/>k «on noiror ho finiehoil in timo ΐ pondence of this form wuh the Shetta of Egyptian task which can never be nnisned in time, s i n u n u n i e n t s proved to be Identical with the tnbe of Will be the business of an eternity. \ Rephaim, known in Scripture as the Bible.»

120

Herald of the Kingdom and Aye to Come.

ing it off the temples," was characteristic of . PAMPHLETS RECEIVED. the SHET-TA. Among the chiefs representΡθΓΕΚΥ AS IT WAS IN THE MlDDLE ed as hastening in magnificently accoutred J war-chariots, to aid the city ATESR against ' AGES ; AND AS IT IS IN THE NINETEENTH Rameses II., some are conspicuous by a \CENTURY. BY JOHN THOMAS, SENR., DUis a pamphlet of 44 coiffure corresponding with remarkable ex- ?buque, Iowa.—This actitude to the above description. None of -pages, published by my father as his protest their hair is left but a round patch on the top ? against the " Mystery of Iniquity" in the of the skull; and that is tied up info a tuft, Valley of the Mississippi. Popery assumes like the scalp-lock of an American Indian, or an impudent bearing in Dubuque, where the twisted into a long plaited braid, like a Chi- \craven-hcaried Protestants are perfectly nese pigtail. If this be the way the god crest-fallen in its accursed presence. Nearly, Orotal used to shave for a pattern, we can- if • not quite all, of their " h e l p s " are Panot commend his taste ; but the pious rever- pists ; so that the evil eyes of the priests, ence of the Amalekites for the divine origin through them, spy out all their domestic afof this hideous fashion probably led them to \fairs, and familiarize their children with the think it very becoming. ' idolatry of the Queen of Heaven. It is to The head attire of the SHKT-TA of ATESH · be hoped that this pamphlet will arouse some in the battle-scene of Seti-Menephtah, at \of them from their slumbers, and cause them Harnak, and that of the captive chief in the >to free themselves from the espionage of the symbolical group of that king devoting his \confessional which is evil, and tends only to T h e author, enemies to destruction, presents a striking ; evil, and that continually. contrast to the one described above; and ;who has passed his three-score years and there, the intention of imitating the coiffure ] ten, has written well, and produced a pamof their god is manifest, by comparing it ; phlet that will doubtless add much to the inwith the effigies of Astarte on some of their · formation of those among whom the viper sacred utensils. They wore a long thick is warming into life. braid of hair, on each side of the face, be* , T H E COMING STRUGGLE AMONG THE NAhind the ear ; and the back hair is long, v; TIONS OF THE EARTH : or the Political hanging down like that of a woman ; it •Events of the next fifteen years ώ-scribed in may perhaps be, to follow up this strange « accordance luith prophecies in JEzekiel, Danreligious manifestation, that they shaved iel, and the Apocalypse: showing, also, the their beards, or clipped it exeedingly short. important ])osition liriiain will occupy during While other branches of the Rapha nation ; and at the end of the awful conjlict. ANONproclaimed their allegiance to the tutelar ; YMOUS. 3:2 pages.—This is published in god of their land, by the crest of their hel- \London. Fify jive thousand have been sold. mets, the SHET-TA carried out the same idea · On the fifth page the author says, " D r . by their mode of tonsure, ;.s they wore no Thomas, of America, was the first to find helmets. < the key, and they who have read his book, If we now bear in mind that it was in \(Elpis Israel,) will at once be able to underthe land of this people that the children of • · stand the following description of the periodIsrael spent thirty-eight years of probation, ; given. For the sake, however, of those who in the great and terrible wilderness of Paran have not seen Dr. Thomas's work—and we and Seir, in constant communication with believe this applies to the majority of genthe Edomite and Midianite tribes domesti- · eral readers—it will be necessary to give a cated among them, we shall then apprehend \ rapid and connected sketch of the prophecy the full significance of the prohibition given s on which the whole hangs,and point out the in Lev. xix. 27, in terms precisely equiva- :· errors into which former interpreters have lent to those by which Herodotus describes fallen." The substance of the pamphlet may the practice of their descendants, the Jeny- ; be found spread out on the pages of the site Arabians. " Y e shall not round off the \third part of Elpis Israel. corners of your heads, neither shall ye destroy THE REFLECTOR OF DIVINE T R U T H . — the corners of your beards." Since this A Monthly Periodical, 12mo., pp. 14. Numpractice, as explained by Herodotus, and conbers 1,2, 3 have been received from Edinfirmed by the religious badges and emblems burgh, where it is issued by the friends of depicted on the Egyptian sculptures, was a the Kingdom and its Gospel. {Success to it, distinctive outward token of this idolatrous ; and to all efforts diffusive of the knowledge people's worship and nationality, its adopof the truth. tion, by an Israelite, would of course be regarded as equivalent to an open declara- \ T H E SOUL : or the Hebrew word N E lion of religious and national apostacy."— \ THESH, and the Greek word PSUCIIE. By WilJournal of Sacred Literature, pp. 65, 66. jliam Glen Moncrieff. Edinburgh: I2mo. 22 pp. 1852.

HERALD OF THE

KINGDOM AND AGE TO COME. " And in their days, even of those kings, the God of Heaven shall set up A KINGDOM which shall never perish, and A DOMINION that shall not be left to another people. It shall grind to powder, and bring to an end all these kingdoms, and itself shall stand for ewer. " — D A N I E L .

JOHN THOMAS, Ed.]

NEW YORK, JUNE, 1853.

THE tfEW /E&UffALEM EXPLAINED.

[VOL. III. No. 6.

\u P°n the throne of our God, even to the

«I will write upon him that overcome» the name of Ne.Jerusa-i L a m b ! '

ΤΙΐββΘ a r e

t h e y t h a t C a m e OUt

of

lem, the city of my God."—JKSUS. J great tribulation, and have washed their Referring to Rev. xxii. 2, 15, a correspon- robes, and made them white in the blood of dent inquires," Now, provided the Sin-power \ the Lamb. Therefore are they before the be destroyed, and we have all the blessings \ throne of God, and serve him day and night described in the fourth verse of the chapter \ in his temple; and he that sitteth on the before, why do we need the Tree of Life ;\ throne shall dwell among them. They shall and why are dogs, sorcerers, & c , said to be \ hunger no more, neither thirst any more; without?" < neither shall the sun light on them, nor any The direct answer to this is, that we have j heat. For the Lamb who is in the midst of no need ; and that dogs, and sorcerers, do not | the throne shall feed them, and shall lead then exist without. This answer, however, \ them unto living fountains of waters ; and is on the hypothesis that " the Sin-power is \ God shall wipe away all tears from their destroyed," and that " the blessings" indi- \ eyes."* This multitude, whose represents cated in Rev. xxi. 4, are· possessed by all the \ live number is 144,000, and their representadwellers upon earth, when " the throne of J tive measure 12,000 furlongs square about, God and of the Lamb" exists in the Age tog 12,000 furlongs high, and walled in by an Come. \ altitude of 144 cubits, are the gold, and silBut, this hypothesis cannot be sustained. \ ver, and precious stones, tried in the fire, of The Sin-power is not destroyed until a thou-ί whom Paul speaks in part in 1 Cor. iii. 12, sand years after the appearing of the Son of 1 as " built upon the foundation of apostles Man in power. It is bruised and chained at; and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the his appearing, but not destroyed ; as is evi- j chief corner"!—" a living stone, chosen of dent from the prediction that, " when the, God, and precious" to them that believe. J: thousand years are expired, Satan shall be I These are the Lord's in that day when he loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to[ makes up his jewels}—the sapphires, agates, deceive the nations which are in the four carbuncles, and pleasant stones—the children quarters of the earth, the Gog and the Ma- J of Jerusalem in her exaltation,|| who is the gog, to gather them together for w a r ; the ; mother of them all.1T number being as the sand of the sea." - These sons and daughters of faith and " The blessings" referred to are postmil- tribulation are those, who, in the days of lennial. It is true, however, that the saints \ their probation, love Jerusalem, and believe who possess the kingdom will enjoy those · the " glorious things God has spoken" conblessings during the thousand years. But >· cerning her. Believing these promises, they then Rev. xxi. 4, is not the passage that pre- > become " the children of the promise who diets their consolation. The prophecy re- ΐ are counted for the seed," who are to inherit lating to them reads thus—" I beheld," says ; the Gentiles. They therefore stand related John, " and lo, a great multitude, which no^to the metropolis, or mother city of their man could number, of all nations, and kin- \ kingdom, as mother and offspring—all of dreds, and people, and tongues, stood before :; whose children shall be taught of God, and the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed ? great shall be their peace. with white robes, and palms in their hands : husband." But before he saw this, an angelIn the former state their fortunes, or rather said to him, " Come hither, I will show thee misfortunes, are concurrent with those of the Bride, the Lamb's wife " So " he showJerusalem as " a woman forsaken and griev· ed me," says John, " that great city, the holy ed in spirit."^ Hence they are described in j Jerusalem, descending out of the heaven the Book of Symbols as " the Holy City trod- from God." It is clear from this, that the den under foot of the Gentiles forty-two New Jerusalem John saw was not a city of months."* But, when Jerusalem becomes architecture, but a polity made up of glorified " free," and she who now " drinks the dregs saints. The phrase " the Bride, the Lamb's of the cup of trembling, and wrings them wife," applied to the descending city, proves out," shall awake and put on her strength, this. In the nineteenth chapter and eighth and be endued with her beautiful garments, $ verse, she is represented as being "arrayed and the uncircumcised and the unclean come \ in fine linen, clean and white ; which white into her nomoref—then will the great multi- raiment is said to be representative of " the tude John beheld awake also, and put on righteousness of the saints ; " which is equitheir strength, and beauty, and rejoice in the > valent to saying that the Bride is the aggreprosperity of the Holy City, for her glory will j gate of the saints. They are collectively be also theirs. Jerusalem is then exalted, ) the Lamb's wife, according to the teaching and become " t h e joy of the whole earth." f of Paul, who says that they are " members Well may the poet say on view if this, " If i of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones ;" I forget thee, Ο Jerusalem, let my right hand ! which was Eve's relation to the first man. forget her cunning. If I do not remember j This city, or body corporate, of Jehovah's thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my } glorified sons and daughters, is representamouth; if "I prefer not Jerusalem above my i tively exhibited and described in Rev. xxi. 11, chief joy."{ I to xxii. 5. It is set forth as a city having a "Jerusalem a rejoicing and her people a > great and high wall of Jasper, in which are joy," compared with anything pertaining to \ twelve gates of as many pearls, with wall her on former days, is a new Jerusalem— foundations of choice stones, each one of the η άνω 'Ιερουσαλήμ, he ano Hierousalem, " the j twelve being decorated with all manner of higher, or more exalted, Jerusalem;" and precious stones. These rare and brilliant by virtue of her being the theatre of divine insets, which highly adorn the State, are manifestations, and "The throne of the Lord," ί worked into pure"crystal-like gold, by which ehe is styled, " t h e city of the living God, the > the city-multitude of its street, or broadway— heavenly Jerusalem," to which even now all \ h stands " the Tree of Life in the midst of the these words, "Upon him that overcomes I Paradise of God," nourished by the river will wrice the name of the city of my God, ι which streams amid its roots; " bearing the New Jerusalem, which descends out of > twelve fruits, through one month yielding its the heaven from my God." Each of this J separate fruit, and its leaves for the healing great multitude, then, is named after the Free ! of the nations." Woman subsequently to his resurrection ; 1 for it is not till then that their acceptance as j ΤΡΡΠ«5 A I VM W A T T T H E N E W those who have by their faith overcome the j JERUSALEM WALL. world's enticements, is declared. Now Paul Such is the municipality of the Kingdom teaches that this multitude of resurrected and represented by most expressive symbols, glorified saints will be caught up to meet the which I shall now briefly explain. First, Lord in the airy John saw them there in then, of the "great and high wall of JasJ vision, and represents them as those who had „ The ^ ig n p T e s e * M i v e o f afede. gamed a victory, standing on a sea of crys- , r a l p e r s o n a m l t h e m a t e r i a , o f | h a t „,„ tal, mingled with hre, and rejoicing.» But ] That "wall" is used of person ciou!;ness. these citizens o U h o New Jerusalem do not j {„ S c r i t u r e i s e v i d e n t f r o m , h t £ x t s _ always remain " i n the air; for in another „ W h a t s h a H w e d o for 0 1 ) r s i s t e r j n t h e d a y »Rev. xi. 2. fisa.. li. 17-23; hi, i. χν>. « « ™ . 5. w h e n s h e *}*" >>f spoken for? // she be a (, l These, iv. 17; 2 Episi. i. 8. II Rev. xv. 2. \ wall, we will build upon her a palace of sil-

The New Jerusalem Explained. vex. I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favor." This is a Bride that has found favor; and she is styled a wall. The Lord said to Jeremiah," I will make thee unto this people a fenced brazen wall, and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail." Speaking of Jerusalem delivered from her desolators, Jehovah says, " 1 will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her." " Sing and rejoice, Ο daughter of Zion ; for lo, I come, and / will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord." The Bride, then, is a wall, and the Lord is a wall to her likewise; for being a wall of fire to the city standing on Mount Zion, he is also a wall to that glorious city's corporation. The Lord as the wall of the Kingdom's municipality encloses all its members, who, having been " baptized into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit," are "in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus"—walled or enclosed in him, which is the idea represented by the symbol.

123

separate and distinct elements, like unconnected stones accumulated for building purposes. While thus, they were neither wall nor temple. But when cut and polished, and built in by the Spirit, through Paul as. " a wise masterbuilder;" that is, "constituted the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus," who became to them" wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption," they became " O n e Body," having him for their head; and therefore, one wall, one temple, and one building with, and inseparable from, him. This being so. such a society needs no temple, Leing its own temple. This is not to siy, that there is no temple in Jernsa'em at the time. John's instructor is not speaking of things unsymbolical pertaining to men in mortal flesh ; but to Saints immortalized. Ezekiel treats of the unfigurative, which become symbols in the construction of the Apocalypse. The temple he treats of is the house of prayer for Israel and the nations ; but the temple constituted of the Lamb and his Bride both in God, is for them The enclosure of the New Jerusalem com- who are " pillars in it, and shall no more go munity—the wall; and their "light"—the out." glory of God—are both represented by transparent jasper stone. " I will be the glory in THE PEARL-GATES. the midst of her, saith the Lord;" that is, " I will be a stone most precious, even like a The Twelve Gates of pearls in the wall jasper stone, clear as crystal unto her.'* And represent the relationship subsisting bethis interpretation of the jasper-light of the tween the New Jerusalem Municipality and commonwealth, is sustained by the words of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The names the angel, who says, " And the city had m> inscribed on the gates show that they are need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine representatives of the tribes ; and that, conin it; for (he glory of God lightens it, and the sequently, the members of the New JeruLand) is the light thereof." This is taught salem community became such by adoption without symbol in the prophets. " T h e man into the Commonwealth of Israel, on an whose name is the Branch," says Zechariah, angel-principle, and so " entered in through "shall bear the glory, and sit and rule upon the gates into the city." The twelve angels his throne."—"Then," says Isaiah, " t h e stationed at the gates represent twelve mesmoon shall be confounded, and the sun sengers, by whose message, believed and ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign obeyed, the gold and precious stones of the on Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before polity came to " enter in through the gates." his ancient^ gloriously." These " ancients" The names of these angels or messengers are are " the City or State, that hath foundations, inscribed upon the twelve foundations of the whose builder and maker is God," and whose wall, being " the names of the twelve aposPrince is Christ the Lord, its everlasting tles of the Lamb." These are the angels of light and glory. the pearly gates of this glorious city, sent by The relationship of the Lamb and the Bride the jasper-light of it to turn men from darkin regard to the City Wall, will exemplify ness to liglrt, and to invite them to God's the idea of " n o temple being there." The kingdom of glory. This they did by preachwall of a house or temple is the building ing the gospel of the kingdom for " the itself; for no wall, no building. Believers in obedience of faith;" by which obedience a Christ in the present evil world are styled in people were separated from " all nations, scripture," the house of God," and " the tem- and kindreds, and people, and tongues ;" and ple of God." " Know ye not," says Paul to adopted as citizens of the Commonwealth of the Corinthians in Christ, " that ye are the Israel, in the hope of that remarkable and temple of God, and that the Spirit of God favored nation. They thus became a part of dwelleth in you ?" " Ye are God's build- Israel, and therefore styled by Paul " the ing ;" but without the Lamb, that is, not being Israel of God ;" which, in its glorified state, built into him, they were neither house, tem- with Israel's God and King in the midst of ple, nor builded walK Individually, they were them, was displayed in vision descending

124

Herald of the Kingdom and Aye to Come.

from the air to Mount Zion, before the mind

of the apostle John. The organization of the Israel of God has relation, therefore, to the foundation of the Hebrew Commonwealth in the twelve sons of Israel, and their own engraftment into Israel's Olive, through the ministration of the twelve apostles, who issued from the tribes. Hence, in other parts of the apocalypse, they are represented by twenty-four elders wearing crowns of gold, who, with the four living creatures full of eyes, explain their

own representation in the songs ascribed to them. When exhibited as a city, the twentyfour are divided into twelves, whose names are inscribed on the gates and foundations of the wall; and the eyes of the living creatures become the garnishing precious stones

of each apostle-foundation. They are " the servants of God sealed in their foreheads " —the " 144,000 of all the tribes of the children of'Israel," become " Israelites indeed " by that which is sealed upon them : for in relation to the glorified inheritors of Israel's kingdom, " the flesh proflteth nothing." THE FOUNDATION-STONES. Each foundation-stone of the city wall is a great precious stone, " a living stone " — and represents an apostle. Each polished gem would be beautiful alone; but how much more beautiful when decorated by all manner of precious stones beside ! The meaning of this symbol is expressed in Paul's words to those whom he had " sealed on their foreheads," and brought into fellowcitizenship with the Saints of Israel. " What is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming ? Ye are our " gl° r v a n d J o v · " They were not " wood, hay, and stubble," but gold, and silver, and precious stones. There is no use for desstructible materials, such as wood, hay, and stubble, in God's municipality ; it is only those who stand the fire can be admitted there. Such were many of the apostles' converts to the faith. They will rejoice together in the presence of the Lord; and those who have been brought to the obedience of the faith by an apofitle, will be to him the garnishment of precious stones in the holy city. The elements of the wall and the precious stones, are built upon the foundation stones. The idea incorporated into this symbol is found in the words-^-" Ye are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth into a holy temple in the Lord'!

which in the New Jerusalem association, issues from his throne, and flows through every member of it, as " a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal." THE MAGNITUDE OF THE CITY. The idea of " a great multitude which no man can number " constituting the New Jerusalem society, is represented by the symbolical magnitude of the city. Twelve is the radical number, and multiplies by twelve. Twelve thousand were representatively sealed, and identified as a tribe of the Israel of God. Twelve times twelve thousand give the 144,000 on Mount Zion with the Lamb. Each 12,000 occupies a definite space, which is 4000 furlongs square ; and for all the thousands representatively stated as 12,000 furlongs square for the whole city, or 48,000 furlongs the four square; giving 144,000 furlongs for its sectional contents. The symbolical height of the city is equal to its length and breadth. The height of the wall is twelve times twelve cubits; sufficiently high to indicate the impossibility of "any thing entering into it to defile it," or that is "not written in the Lamb's book of life." Here is multitude innumerable symbolically represented, by 1500 miles length and breadth, and altitude besides ; showing, doubtless, that this glorious polity is the medium of connection between the nations of the earth and heaven. NEW JERUSALEM THE MILLENNIAL GOVERNMENT OF THE WORLD. Such a community as this can need no lamp,or sunlight, to enlighten it; for "there shall be no night there." Every individual u of it will shine as the brightness of the firmament; and those of it who have turned many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." Being righteous, they shine as the sun; for " the Lord God giveth them light; and they shall reign for ever."

ever and

This saying proves that the New Jerusalem is a community of kings—" they shall reign for ever and ever"—εις τους αιώνας των αιώνων, eis tous aionas ton aionon, to the ages of the ages. Over whom shall they reign, and where ? " He that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron:"—" He shall sit with me on my throne, even as I overcome and sit with my Father in his throne." In view of these promises the heirs of the kingdom sing in their new eong, " Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy in whom ye also are builded together for blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and a habitation of God through the Spirit;" people, and nation; and hast made us unto

The New Jerusalem Explained,

125

our God kings and priests; and we shall THE TREE OF THE KINGDOM. reign on the earth." And when the time comes for this to be fulfilled, John sees What the Tree of Life represents may "thrones," and he says, " They sat upon be learned from the following texts. " Wis; them, and judgment was given unto them— dom is a tree of life to them that lay hold and they lived and reigned with Christ a upon her." " Blessed is the ih-.n that trustthousand years." " And the nations of them eth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. that are saved (survive the judgment of the For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, saints) shall walk in the light of it (the New which spreadeth out her roots by the river, Jerusalem government), and the kings of the and shall not see when heat cometh, but earth (the victorious saints) bring their glory her leaf shall be green ; and shall not be and honor into it. And the gates of it shall careful in the year of drought, neither shall not be shut at all by day : for there shall be cease from yielding fruit." " What is the vine no night there. And they shall bring the tree more than any tree ?" This text from glory and the honor of the nations into it." Ezekiel shows that in the scripture style, the " And judgment was given unto them ;" vine is regarded as a tree. " I am the true that is, says tyaniel, ·' to the saints." This vine, and my Father is the husbandman. is their honor. " Let the high praises of Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, God be in their mouth, and a two-edged he taketh away; and every branch that sword in their hand ; to execute vengeance beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring upon the nations, and punishments upon the forth more fruit. I am the Vine," continued people : to bind their kings with chains, and Jesus to his apostles, "ϊ/e are the Branches. their nobles with fetters of iron : to execute He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same upon them the judgment written : this honor bringeth forth much fruit: for severed from have all his saints."* But the sword only me ye can do nothing." prepares the way for the world's regenera" I n the Word was life; and the life was tion. Jt hews down embattled hindrances the light of men." That Word was made to the improvement of mankind ; but it adds flesh, and named Jesus, who proclaimed himnothing to the spirituality and intelligence self the resurrection and the life. Hence, of them that escape. The mission of Christ as the true vine, he is the Tree of Life, and his brethren, the saints, is to regenerate watered by the Spirit, which he received the world, as well as to " break in pieces the without measure. He is " a tree of life to oppressor ?'—to heal the nations unhealed to this day; and will so remain for moon to another ministered to them by its \ ever, unless their olive tree do "blossom and healing leaves. "> bud, and till the face of the world with fruit." T H E HEALING-LEAVES. \ But, let the reader mark the figure, how that The Leaves of the Tree for the healing· of, trees are used in Scripture sometimes as the nations. That is, the water of life is ! representative of polities, good or bad accordhealth-imparting tothe saved-nations through \ ing to the nature and condition of the trees, the Leaves of the Tree of Life. The apos- ( There is a notable instance of this in ties being the branches of the true vine-tree, ! Daniel. Nebuchadnezzar in a: dream that those who are ingrafted into that vine by \ he had, describes a tree he saw, saying, " I the obedience of faith through their testi- ; saw, and behold, a tree in tke midst of the mony, are the /eaves, or breathing organs, of \ earth, and the altitude thereof was great, the tree. The Spirit that issues from the ] The tree grew, and was strong, and the throne of God and the Lamb will breathe ! height thereof reached unto the heaven, upon the conquered nations through the and the sight thereof to the end of all the Saints, who then " possess the kingdom, and > earth : the leaves thereof were fair, and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom ί fruit thereof much, and on it meat for all; under the whole heaven." He breathed I the beasts of the field had shadow under it, upon the 3000 Pentecostians through the i a " d the fowls of ίhe heaven dwelt in the Apostles; and the result was, their accept- ; boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it." ance of Jesus as King of the Jews, raised ) This tree was representative of " the kingup from the dead to sit on David's throne ; dom of men," on whose Chaldean throne and obedience to the kingdom's gospel in Nebuchadnezzar reigned as king. Hence, his name. " He breathes where he pleases." ; Daniel said, in showing the signiiicancy of He breathed in Jerusalem of old; he will ; the tree, " I t is thou (or thy kingdom), Ο breathe thence anew; not upon a few thou- \ king, that art grown and become strong: sand Jews only, and through twelve men of for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth Israel; but through " a great multitude which \ unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of no man can number," upon all the millennial ; the earth." The stump of the tree when nations of the earth ; so that as a conse- ] felled, banded with brass and iron, was the quence, " the knowledge of the glory of Je- \ kingdom of Babylon during the seven years hovah shall fill the earth, as the waters ! of its king's dethronement, made sure to cover the sea." Then "shall the Gentiles \ him on the recovery of his reason. The fair come unto Him from the ends of the earth, leaves of this tree which were shaken oft", and shall say, 'Surely our fathers have in- \ were the nobles and dignitaries of the kingheriied lies, vanity, and things wherein there ; dom detached from all connexion with is no profit." ) Nebuchadnezzar during the days of his That " a leaf," or leaves, when used meta- { calamity. phorically in Scripture signifies a person,will ί The passage already quoted from Jereappear from the following texts. Job, in his ) miah shows that a person is likened to a reasoning with God concerning his hapless ! tree as well as a kingdom ; and that his excondition, says, ''Wherefore boldest thou me ι cellency is manifested in the condition of its for thine enemy? Wilt thou breaks tea/"! leaf, and fruit-bearing quality. When a driven to and fro?" That is, " l a m a leaf, as J tree represents a body corporate» its foliage it were, driven to and fro, wilt thou break > is generally expressed by the plural "leaves," me ?" as it were, that is, metaphorically. > but when only one person is meant, the sinIsaiah addressing the transgressors in Israel, > gular is used, as " leaf." Thus, it is written who practiced idolatrous rites in gardens ί in David, speaking of the man who is and under oak trees there, says to them col- \ blessed," He shall be like a tree planted by the lectioely, " Ye shall be ashamed of the oaks j rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded > his season; his /ea/also shall not fade: and for the gardens ye have chosen. For ye > whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." This is shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a \ predicable of the blessed man when he is garden that hath no water." In this, apos- ί a leaf among the leaves of the tree of life— tate Israel in church and state is likened to j whatsoever he doeth then thall prosper. By a withered oak, and a parched-up garden, \ synecdoche, a leaf for a tree represents a the very opposite similitude to that in the 'man; as an eye in the apocalyptic living

Letter to Alessandro Gavazzi.

127

creatures symbolizes an individual; the rule ', moon to another/' The "twelve fruits of the being, α part for the whole for the deco- ' tree of life," are the knowledge of good tendrum of the symbol. A multitude of eyes, and • ίησ to life, being made known in all the year, a multitude of leaves, are a multitude of peo- < Fruit is anything produced. It is not propie, constituting a community, incorporated duced to all the world at once; that is, in a into a divine polity in that represented by \ single month : but at every new moon of the the tree-stock, and the cherubic creatures— ') year's twelve shall strangers present themfire, light, and spirit, the symbols of the God- \ selves in Jerusalem for instruction, " and head in manifestation through body, styled \ from one sabbath to another." The tree " God manifest in the flesh." } produces the knowledge, the leaves yield it I trust that the reader will now be able to \ to the nations, according to the administraanswer the question scripturally and ration- \ tive institutions of the new constitution and ally, " What is represented by the apocalyp- \ order of things ; which I understand to be tic city of gold and precious stones? And \ represented in the text before us. what by the throne, the river, and the tree of \ It will hardly be necessary, I think, after life ?" They'are all things representative of ; this exposition, to say much about the " dogs Christ and his breastplale-Saints* in their ) and sorcerers without"—the Gentiles and governmental relations to the millennial na- < teachers which they have heaped up to therntions. There 1s one point, however, I have \ selves after their own lusts. It must be obonly hinted at in my exposition, which I will \ vious to every one that there can be none briefly notice here. The common version | such within : but that the words are strictly reads, " the tree of life which bare twelve j true in the very nature of things, t h a t " there manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every \ can in no wise enter into it anything that demonth." The words italicized were inserted \ fileth ; but only those written in the book of by the translators to make out what they con- > the Lamb's life." The Lamb's life-commuceived to be the sense. Their rendering, ) nity is the world's unchangeable government however,is not satisfactory. The words are ) for a thousand years. Flesh and blood can|ύλον ζωής, ποιούν καρττοι^ δωδεχα, xala \ n°t be a constituent of that government. It αηνα ένα, sxaglov α τ ο ν ο ύ ν τον xapflrov \ i s " without;" and until that government is avlov, a tree of life, producing twelve fruits, triumphantly established it is in open rebel,, '. ,. . .,. .? , ./ lion, cursing, and wailing, and gnashing fo through one month yielding its separate fruit itg teet}] B u t o f thia her eafter at' a m o r e In this rendering no supplemental words are \ c o n v e n i e n t opportunity, J introduced. But what is the meaning of it ? > " EDITOR I believe that it is symbolical of something ; representation of " the mystery of God as he \ M £ f . ^ ^ ^ hath declared to his servants the prophets." > R ^ " ^ ^ In these Writings he has promised bleSSed- ί "CaVh'olu·*'· in Peter'»,lay—The Church of Christ in Rome not the • · ι i i * u · ι ( " C h u r c h of Rome"—The Ctitholk· faction 1'a^anizt-d into the lieSS and Saving health tO all nations ; and t Cath..lic Chunl. of Rome uiultrConeUintine—TlusKiitiHror Pagan, 4

we read of them saying in their convales- \ ^$Cί ^ ! Κ ^ ώ ^ cence, *' Come and let us go up to the moiin- ; "^',!^ JS^eV-sTlr r,ailliPa°iiiie?h/"S S- η Γ ΐ ^ - τ ΐ t a i n Of τι

t h e L o r d , t O t h e h o U S e O f t h e G ' ' d Of ' good news of the^osp.·] indicated—The lsratlltieh kingdom and Λ l. -τι 4 ι r τ. · •)·> \ «»»l>ire of the future—Christ »tnd his brethren to subdue the nations

J a c o b ; and he will teach us oj his ways. \ and enlighten the world. Who will teach them ? He who is the tree \ DEAR SIR :—Though neither papist, protof life in the Paradise, or Garden of God. } e stant,nor ; t Roman Catholic of Peter's time," He will then produce, or reveal knowledge, ( I have not been altogether an unconcerned pertaining to " h i s ways," which knowledge 1 observer of your endeavors in this great Baia contained in " the L a w " and in " the \ bel of the West I sympathise with the efWord," which are to go forth from Zion and j f o r ts of all, of whatever race or nation, who Jerusalem. The law and the word of God seek to emancipate the human mind from will issue from his throne through his king, the bondage and tyranny of sin, superstition, through stated times, or " from one new and unbelief. For this reason I sympathise with you, amd wish you God speed, and * Aaron under his foursquare breastplate of judg- great success. ment, the Unm and Thummim, the ephod, gold, blue, In reading a brief report of your speeches, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen in the most holy place, was a type of the New Jerusalem ; that is, of I perceived that some things had fallen from Christ and his Saints in glory. Compare Aaron's four- your lips which evinced that you were consquare with the foursquare of the. Apocalypse, Exod. xxviii. Concerning Christ as the precious seven-eyed siderably in advance of the current proteststone "like a jasper an*i sardius to look upon," Jeho- antism of this cloudy and dark day. Thia vah says, "Iwill engrave the graving thereof," which discovery afforded me real gratification.; The J graving graving is is represented represented in in the the workmanship workmanship and and names names . "7 . & 1 ' . "w en graved on the gates and foundations of the city.

{ protestantism of this country is but ajashion-

128

Herald of the Kingdom and Age io Come.

able Demas, competing with popery for the > Australian superfluity. In that event, protvotes of the Democracy, which at heart they ! estantism would evince all due alacrity in both cordially despise. Soul-saving is the \ filibustering against Austria for the annexapretext; the loaves and fishes of the state, ! tion of those countries to the land of liberty daily sumptuousness, and power, the real s and the model Republic of the world, end of the enlargement of their phylacteries ! Your case, Signor Caro, would have been before the people. The protestantism of Lu- \ a dead failure, if in the opening of your brief ther, Calvin and Wesley, has doctrinally ac- \ you had proclaimed yourself the champion complished all it is capable of against Ro- > of protestantism. If you had assumed this manism in its papal manifestation. " The J position you would have been vulnerable at Reformers" all erred in supposing that pope- > all sides, and could only have defended yourry could be reformed; and in admitting that \ self, as protestants do, by proving that of the Roman Catholic church was ever a true two blacks popery is the blacker most inchurch. You admit this in part. In so far tensely. So long as you advocate that Christhen we are agreed. No independent mind tianity found in the Bible without regard to enlightened by Moses and the prophets, popery and protestantism, Archbishop Christ and the apostles, thinks of paying any Hughes, the representative pf the Beast's regard to an Episcopalian, Presbyterian, or Image in this city, will take special care Methodist protest against popery ; for if the how he troubles himself with so inconvenient papal church be the " Mother of harlots" as an antagonist. If I mistake not the man, he they say, they are unquestionably " the has assailed protestantism in newspaper condaughters"—the " women" of Rev. xiv. 4. troversy with a Presbyterian champion As you truly remark, therefore," to protest j named "Breckenridge, whom he gained a deagainst popery is very little :" hence the po- cided advantage over on the question of basition you have assumed is great and im- by-rhantism, or sprinkling. This you know, pregnable, to protest against all sects, and to JSignor, is not taught in the Bible, but is a " preach Christianity as it was in the early dogma of the Apostacy established by papal church." This is what few can do. I have authority. Hughes maintained this, and heard of no man in this city competent to the urged truly that the protestant " baptism" task There are many pretenders ; but " a was a popish institution ; and that if popery workman that needeth not to be ashamed, were proved to be a lie, baby-sprinkling was rightly dividing the word of truth," is yet a a part of that lie; and as protestant creeds desideratum for this corrupt, blind, and de- made it essential to salvation, as proved by moralized community. The gospel preached John iii. 5, no protestant could enter the by the apostles is unknown, and supplanted \ kingdom of God ; in which conclusion more by " philosophy and vain deceit" for the en- \ truth than fiction is contained. Hughes has tertainment of the "itching ears" which the soul of a Jesuit, and consequently all the have heaped up to themselves pulpit orators s serpent-cunning of that creature, but with after their own lusts. Antique spiritual ba- j none of the harmlessness of the dove, where zaars, luxuriously embellished, whose pews i he can bite without being bitten. He fears are auctioned off to the highest bidder, are ! you doubtless as you now stand. Beware, the places of resort they call " churches"— '> however, of the protestant Jesuitism of the places of spiritual merchandise, where papist ! political press. If dagger " f John" of New and protestant priests make long prayers, > York, Cardinal expectant, make any move and wrest the scriptures to please the taste \ against you, it will probably be by setting t>f>tke sinners who hire them to cure their j his underlings to work upon the fears of the souls. This is the "religion" of the world > editors, who, instead of being the enlightenhere—a religion of fashion, lust, and intense ; ed leaders of the people in the way of truth selfishness, which leaves the people to " per- j and righteousness, are the mere breath of ish for lack of knowledge." It circulates J political factions, whose " principles" are the Bible indeed; but at the same time pro- } summarily expressed in the proverb " to the nounces Moses and the prophets unintelligi- j victor belong the spoils." The popish vote ble, and represses with bitterness all truth in this city is very great, and can be connot represented in their miserable sectarian trolled here as in other parts of papaldom, creeds, and confessions of faith. From such by a corrupt and vicious priesthood. In a system, gospel-liberty and enlightenment view of this influence the party editors are are'not to be expected. Fostered by such cap in hand to the priests especially, whose protestantism as this, popery is a deadly vi- motto is that also of the clergy of all sects, per warming into virulence destructive of " disturb not that which is quiet." Hence every good. Italy and Hungary have noth- they are very sensitive on the subject of reing to hope for from its sympathies, unless ligious controversy. They readily endorse indeed, gold and diamonds may be extracted that maxim of a rotten cause so ardently from their soil in more than Californian or cherished by all who live by it, that " eon-

Letter to Alessundro Gauaz;:i.

120

would alienate some Romish votes from their political idol. About the same time the elections for the State Legislature were coming on. The Louisville Tribune created quite a panic in this direction also. One of the candidates visited the oflice under great excitement, demanding what they were all doing there, and exclaiming that he had lost two hundred votes by the articles on popery in the Tribune. He was given to understand that they were " publishing the truth as nearly as could be ascertained." "Yes," said he, " but the truth must not be told." >'He was, however, informed, that so long as • the Tribune was published there, there was • no help for it; it must and would be told. 1 fe asked permission to publish a card. Jt was granted. It was a laudation of the Romi>h priesthood, telling what fine fellows they were, and how intimate lie had been with several of them for years, &e. ; but apprehending he might he taken fora papist, and so lose more protestant votes than he would gain, recover, or retain by flattering the priests, lie abruptly concluded his " card" by saving, *" I am a protestant." This anecdote, now first reduced to writing, may illustrate to you the relations of politics ii> this country to its multifarious and multitudinous sectarianism. Mormonism, a mushroom imposture of the baldest character, is flattered and fawned upon by editors who despise it, for the sake of its votes. This was notorious in the election of Governor Ford, of Illinois, under whose administration they were afterwards expelled from Nauvoo a l s o — e x iu\ disce oi/uics. by force of anus. God's unadulterated truth, This is the philosophy of that denunciation then, need expect no quarters from protesyou recently experienced from those same tant political editors and partisans; thereeditorial partisans for stripping oil" the veil fore, Signor, give none. Tell the truth as from the hideous idol to which they bun:· in- fully, and as last as you learn it, and put cense for the votes of its besotted worship- them all to shame. Annihilate popery //" pers, but whose idolatry they neither love ηο\ι can. There is no harm in trying ; nor venerate. You say truly that " popery though you are certain not to succeed : for is essentially against ail freedom, and there- in the providence of God both popery and fore against all republics.'' I endeavored protestantism have a mission to perform. to convince the citizens of Louisville, Ky., , Their natural antagonism in the old world of this truth while incognito editor of a daily ) is bringing on a crisis which will he the paper in that city in 184.'), at the time of the } ruin of them both. But their destruction is popish excitement in Philadelphia. The pa- - neither in your power nor mine, nor in that per was denounced by Whigs and Demo- of all the disaffected throughout antichrist's crats, and the Jesuits at Bardstown. The dominion. If you have the ear ol the Italians, Whigs proscribed it for a Democratic paper, show them what the truth is as preached by and the Democrats for a Whig; and the the Apostles, and leave the death and damJesuits for a piratical craft. The Whig nation i»f the apostacy unto God. Presidential electioneering procession hahed opposite the oflice, and yelled forth groans You are reported to have said, that you and hisses against the Louisville Tribune, a are " not a protestant in any sectarian sense, paper advocating the election of their candi- and wish to he called rather by the name of date, Henry Clay; and some proposed the Roman Catholic." But why by this ? " Bedemolishing of the press and types, because cause," say you, ''the Roman Catholic this same paper, in showing the essential and church is the most ancient church in Euhistorical hostility of popery to liberty, and rope, and you wish to be considered a Rothe well-being of society, it was apprehended , man Catholic of Peter's time, before the troversy is dangerous to religion.'' The political editors know how repugnant it is to the priests or clergy of the Old Mother and her Daughters to have their creeds and confessions unceremoniously scrutinized and tested by scripture; they therefore repress all such investigation with the understanding that they \vill direct their pious influence in the true channel of political orthodoxy. Do you think that a Whig editor's sympathy for human liberty and detestation of Austrian and papal cruelty is so hearty and disinterested that he would do and say in New York what he would in London ? By no means. He might be very eloquent upon the platform at Exeter Hall in behalf of liberty and the Bible; and even threaten the tyrant with America's frowns and indignant sympathy with the oppressed; but come you, il Siguor Gavazzi, to this Babel of the West, and deliver the same sentiments, and speak for God as well as for man, and denounce that Roman Mountebank, the ninth of his official name— expose the demoniac hypocrisy and impiety of him, his system and Ins priests—show up the imposture naked before the public, and demonstrate "the mystery of iniquity : ' they incarnate—and that same hypocritical politician will denounce you for a sower of discord among brethren : for if he were to stand by his transatlantic eloquence, he would offend the priests, and they might alienate the votes of papL-ts from Whig hammed's, and the Greeks are the Russian of and unknown. Their church is a schism, | Autocrat's. If Italians would become people and themselves Schismatics. I trust, there- ί of God, they must separate themselves from fore, you will renounce " Roman Catholic" i every form of Roman Catholicism by beas a name, as well as papist. Bible names ) lieving the gospel of the kingdom and obeyfor Bible things ; no human nomenclature ί ing it. Let me press this point upon you, can better designate the things of the Spirit ' Signor. " If judgment begin at the house than the Spirit's own words and phrases. J of God," says Peter, " what shall the end be New Testament Christianity was not pro- > of them ivho obey not the gospel ?" Hear mulgated as a civil and ecclesiastical con-) what Paul says in answer to this question, stitution for peoples and nations. It appears ί " The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from to me, from the reports of your speeches, I heaven with the angels of his power in that you think it was. Hence, you talk ,' flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that about " Italians being Roman Catholics < know not God. and that obey not the gospel of because they are Italians," by which you ί our Lord Jesus Christ." A man may prointimate that they are Christians of the early • ' test against popery, or he may annihilate i t ; church, because they are Italians. But, as ί he may by his eloquence create a sympathy I have shown, Christianity is not a speciality * for the down-trodden of all nations, and kill

Letter to Alessandro Gavazzi

133

his ten thousands of the Philistines in battling ) But to qualify one's self for this mission, for liberty and the rights of man—but what \ we must understand and obey the truth ourof all that ? Is he therefore justified from \ selves. Pardon me when I say that I am all his past sins, and has he thereby acquired ξ apprehensive that you are deficient in this a right to the kingdom and eternal life ? By ί particular. If by a " R o u n n Catholic," I no means. These are only to be obtained am to understand one, win· has no other by believing the gospel and obeying it, and 41 baptism" than what babies in Italy receive thenceforth living a sober, righteous, and at the hands of Italian priests, 1 am certain godly life in this present evil world. that you have not obeyed the truth. Chris1 would inquire, how can one of Peter's tians of Peter's time were justified by their not by the credulity of ignorant church, or rather Christ's in Peter's time, own faith ,; .... and godmothers. Hear what scripturally become the advocate either of? godfathers an u ;ays, V Ye are all the children of God peoples or of their oppressors? The peoples Paul says," of the world are sinners by nature and prac- by faith which is in Christ Jesus."' Suppose tice, living in their sins, and therefore ene- we ask Paul, " What evidence is there that mies of God. These sinful peoples consti- we are his children by faith?" Now, just tute the world ; and the Scripture saith, attend to what he says in the next verse in " the friendship of the world is enmity with answer to the question.—" Because," says God. Whosoever, therefore, will be a/riend he, " as many of you (believers) as have been of the world is the enemy of God." Again, baptized (immersed) into Christ have put on " If any man love the world, the love of the Christ." Thus, you perceive, that being Father is not in him." " Whosoever is intelligenllij immersed into Christ is the eviborn of God overcometh the world ; and this dence of our being God's children by faith, is the victory that overcometh the world, even and if his children, then heirs of the proour faith." And again, " If I yet pleased men mises made to Abraham and his seed. (the world), I should not be the servant of; On the supposition that you are a Roman Christ." This separation from sinners is a Catholic, and therefore a schismatic from great principle of Christianity, and quite in- the church in Peter's time, allow me to say, compatible with the Christian's advocacy of that your Italian "baptism" and "ordinathe people's cause against their oppressors. [ tion," are nothing more than " the Beast'* A Christian can only lawfully plead the ' mark" and license to sell in what you truly cause of God and the "Gospel, against which • call " t h e pope's shop." For as the scripboth oppressors and the oppressed are united ture foretold, that pontifical power " causes in the strictest fellowship and alliance. They all, both small and great, rich and poor, free may hate one another cordially, but they do and bond, to receive a mark in their right not therefore love God the more ; for, saith he, hand or on their foreheads ; and that no man '* if ye love me, do what I command you ;" for might buy and sell save he that had the "love is the fulfilling of the law." mark, or the name of the beast, or the numI am glad to see, Signor Gavazzi, that ber of his name.'' Now, Signor, you were though mistaken on some important points, once a popish priest, and sold spiritual mer-. you are in off protestants generally i advance d ll \ chandise hdi in i the h bazaars b off guardian di saints i upon others. You believe in the personal to them who were privileged to buy. Conappearing of Jesus Christ to establish in fession, baby-rhantism, burials, marriages, Palestine a kingdom of universal dominion masses, and so forth, were some of those and justice; also in the restoration of the wares you exchanged with purchasers for scattered tribe of Israel to their fatherland ; gold, and silver, and tithes, and divers other and that the time is fast coming when all contributions. Could you have sold those denominations will disappear. These points ) things to the Italians, if you had not been believed, and added to your desire to "preach $ signed with the mark, character, or sign of Christianity as it was in the early church," • the cross on your forehead, and not been " t o preach the religion of Christ among the cruciated with the same mark in your right American people," with your recent quotation ) hand at your ordination as a seller of wares of the condition of salvation, that " h e who ί in the Pope's shop ? And could an Italian believes the gospel and is baptized shall be have purchased of you a burial in k> holy saved"—give me great hopes of you, that you ground," if the deceased had not been signare capable of receiving the way of the Lord ed with the sign of the cross in baby-rhantmore perfectly ;; and mayy be turned from the ism ? The affirmative to these questions py bootless effort of annihilating popery, and being granted, I would just refer you to the pleading the hopeless cause of sinners with sentence pronounced upon all such an do not sinners against their oppressors, to the more take proper steps for the obliteration of so that of the "accursed exalted mission of beseeching your hearers ignominious a mark as to be reconciled to God upon the stipulations \ tree." Here it is. u Jf any man worship presented in the Gospel of the kingdom. the beast and his image, and receive a mark

134

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come.

in his forehead, or in his hand, the same \ perse all their armies; annex the dominion shall drink of the wine of God's wrath, | of the whole world to the kingdom of Israel ; which is poured out without mixture into the \ enlighten the nations, and establish the aucup of his indignation; and he shall be \ ihority of God on the final ruin of Greek and tormented in iire and brimstone in the pre- \ Latin popery, Mohammedanism, paganism, sence of the holy angels, and in the presence j and protestantism of every name and denoof the Lamb. * * * And they have no rest \ initiation So that then shall come to pass day nor night, who worship the beast and \ the prophecy of Jeremiah saying, " In the his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark < day of affliction the Gentiles shall come unto of his name." Here is the secret of Italy's \ thee, Ο Lord, from the ends of the earth, and woes made patent to every reader. The ! shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited Italians have sold themselves in past ages J lies, vanities, and things wherein there is to imperial popery, and they are now reaping < no proiii." And " a t that time they shall the bitter fruits. But the cup of suffering is S call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord; and not full yet. the mark of the Beast is upon i all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to them all, and what the malignity of Austria, ) the name of the Lord unto Jerusalem ; neiNaples, and the pope has left unfinished, the · ther shall they walk any more after the just vengeance of the Lamb upon them for < imagination of their evil heart. In those the murder of his saints and their hatred of \ days the house of Judah shall walk with the the Bib'e, will be fully accomplished. But ,· house of Israel, and they shall come together after judgment, then comes the blessing of j out of the land of the north to the land that Abraham upon all nations. < I have given for an inheritance unto your Will you, Signor, continue to wear the Mathers." When these promises become aelivery of the beast's image, and his mark, and ( complished facts, AN ISRAELITISH KINGDH.II to labor to excite sympathy for them whom \ AND EMPIRE will exi^t upon the earth, tran*God hath doomed ? America can do nothing \ cending in IIKJ «neatness of its power, the exfor Italy. The only hope for Italians is to s tent of its dominion, the splendor of its maleave Italy to France, Austria, and the Pope ; ( jesty, and the justice and beneficence of it.^ and in believing the gospel and obeying it, rule, any sovereignty existent since nations to wash out the beast's mark in the blood of \ occupied the earth. This is that dominion the Lamb. Being desirous to assist them in j· of which the gospel of the kingdom treats, this work, I have addressed myself to you, j But, it might be asked, What good news in hope of putting you right, that being rec- \ is that to us who may die before it is estabtified yourself, you may be able to promote ) lished ? It is good news in this respect— the good work in relation to them in England j that Christ and the Apostles say to in*, that and the United States. To make this more J if we will believe the things testified in Mopracticable, I have sent you herewith a copy \ ses and the prophets concerning it; mcogof Elpis Israel, published by me in London \ nize the claims of Jesus to the throne of the and New York ; with the first and second j kingdom as son of David and of God, admit volumes of the Herald of the Kingdom and { the doctrine of his death and resurrection Age to Come, a periodical I issue every month s as a propitiation for the sins of believers, in this city. What you will find in Elpis ; and be immersed into the name of the Father, Israel, and the Herald, will, I doubt not, give · Son, and Holy Spirit—if we will believe and you a view of what the Bible teaches in re- \ do these things, and lead a holy and rightlation to salvation by the gospel of the king- I eous life in hope of the kingdom and its eterdom, and to the future of Italy, Hungary, j nal attributes, although we may die before Turkey, France, Austria, Russia, Britain s the kingdom and dominion are established, and the Jews, that will not be thrown away J Christ will raise us from the dead, associate upon a man of your independence of thought, j us with himself in the work before him, and word and oeeo. You will rind also some j
View more...

Comments

Copyright © 2017 PDFSECRET Inc.